My Turn: Mold found in the classroom

There's something wrong with a system that requires children to become ill and parents to complain before school leaders will test our classrooms for dangers like mold.

But that's what has played out so far this year in New Hanover County Schools…not once, but twice!

I know the school system doesn't have an excess of money, and it's expensive to do preliminary testing for mold in those mobile units. Plus, according to the Centers for Disease Control, it's not necessarily fool proof, but there has to be a better way.

So far, we've encountered mold at Bellamy and Parsley elementary schools.  We don't know about other mobile units around the county, because, according to school leaders, there are no plans to test them.

Let's at least take the time to talk about best practices. It might turn out the best solution does not include preliminary testing.  But they could certainly improve communications with parents so we're not in this same situation year after year.

That's my turn. Now it's your turn. To comment on this segment, or anything else, email me at yourturn@wect.com.

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