Tunbridge
Administrators at Tunbridge Central School sent students home early on Friday because of the suspicion of mold following a series of tests. While the first two were inconclusive, a third test, performed this week, “determined that there could possibly be mold present near the roof,” according to a news release from the school.
In Pomfret, Prosper Valley School’s opening was delayed earlier this week because of the presence of Aspergillus, a mold that can be dangerous for those with asthma and lung problems.
It is unclear what type of mold may be present at Tunbridge Central School, which has a rubber membrane roof that was installed within the last 5 to 7 years, according to White River Valley Supervisory Union Superintendent Bruce Labs. He suspects that leakages in several areas may be contributing to the potential mold problem.
“We’re going to have to see if (the roof) is still under warranty,” Labs said in a Friday phone interview.
Labs met with Tunbridge Central principal Joanne Melanson and school facilities and maintenance director Lou Maraget on Friday morning and they collectively decided to order an early dismissal. Teachers were notified during mid-morning recess and students thereafter by their individual classroom teachers.
Scott Terami, father of seventh-grader River Terami, said an email notifying parents of the situation hit his inbox around 11:45 a.m. He had picked up River and several of his friends within 30 minutes.
Other students were bussed home around 1 p.m., but some parents were still trickling in to pick up students around 2:30. Teachers also were departing at that time, all bringing home needed classroom material in the event the building remains off limits following Labor Day Weekend.
“It’s just mold — or, possibly mold,” said first- and second-grade teacher Chelsea Hook, of Chelsea. “(Administrators) are doing what they think is best for the kids. It will hopefully only amount to the couple hours of missed class time that we missed today.”
Labs was planning to attend a School Board meeting on Friday night to “figure out what to do next.” Meanwhile, he’d been in touch with state officials to determine recommended inspection services.
“It’s important that we’re thorough and figure out what this is,” Labs said. “Hopefully, we can get a Vermont company in here soon so that we can start the cleaning and mitigation, if necessary.”
Melanson, the Tunbridge principal, said students took the news in stride.
“They were pretty calm about things,” she said. “There was no panic mode.”
Scott Terami, who is the general manager at Tunbridge Store, was eager for an update on the potential mold situation.
“We don’t know if it’s a big deal or not; we have to wait and see,” he said. “I’ve heard of instances where mold can get to be a pretty big deal, whether it be in households or public buildings. You never used to hear about it when I was a kid, but it seems to come up more often now.”
Labs said Chelsea School — which recently closed its high school wing, but remains a K-8 facility — is a potential temporary home for Tunbridge students, if necessary. He also said the facilities at Tunbridge Fairgrounds could be a possibility, but that he hadn’t yet spoken with anyone who could grant access there.
“There are different options that we’re going to have to look at,” Labs said.
Tunbridge officials said they planned to alert parents and staff over the weekend by the school’s electronic messaging system about plans for school on Tuesday.
Jared Pendak can be reached at jpendak@vnews.com or 603-727-3216.