Clearing the air in schools

Eight years after a state health inspection led Burlington officials to spend about $1.5 million to correct air-quality problems at the town high school, new worries have surfaced about the air in Burlington schools -- and this time they're not only centered on the high school.

Burlington school officials say they are dealing with the problems, but the concerns expressed by some parents reflect a growing consciousness throughout the state that there may be a greater need to monitor the air children breathe in school.

Responding to concerns from some parents, the state Department of Public Health's Bureau of Environmental Assessment was scheduled to inspect the high school for mold this week. The agency plans an additional survey for carbon dioxide this fall.

''We'll evaluate the whole school, from the roof to the basement," said Suzanne Condon, the assistant public health commissioner who oversees environmental health.

Also, tests conducted by state health inspectors in February at the Marshall Simonds Middle School and in May 2004 at the Memorial Elementary School found high carbon dioxide levels in both schools, which can point to conditions that cause respiratory, eye, nose, and throat irritation, lethargy, and headaches in some people.

Burlington officials say the problems in the three schools have either already been addressed or will be fixed before classes start in September.

Assistant School Superintendent Craig Robinson, who supervises building and finance operations for the district, said problems at the high school have been corrected thanks to repairs funded with an appropriation by Town Meeting following the 1997 inspection.

That inspection found problems ranging from damp ceiling tiles and mold to high carbon dioxide levels, and led the town to provide money to fix leaking roofs, overhaul ventilation, and replace damaged ceiling tiles and carpeting.

Robinson said elevated carbon dioxide levels at Marshall Simonds resulted from a newly installed $4.6 million heating, air conditioning, and ventilation system that had not been adequately getting rid of stale air and bringing in fresh air. The system is now fixed, he said. And the problems at the Memorial School will be remedied, at least for the short term, by installing rooftop exhaust fans to help air circulate better in the classrooms, said Robinson.

''We've been responsive," said Robinson, who said an inspection for mold spores at the Marshall Simonds and Memorial School in January found no problems.

But some parents are still concerned.

Two families, in particular -- the Petersons and the Woodburys -- are anxious about the coming school year. Each has a child who, they claim, has suffered from exposure to poor air while they attended Burlington schools in the past. But they want to enroll their children in the high school in September and their concerns helped trigger the state Health Department inspection.

Diane Peterson's son Joseph, 14, attended Marshall Simonds, but after recurring headaches, dizzy spells, and nausea, she and her husband, Mark, decided in January to pull him out of the school. For the last half of the school year, Joseph was taught by a tutor provided for him by the school district. He is set to enter the high school next year.

''The only time Joey was sick was when he went to school," said Peterson, who said her son has allergies. ''On weekends and holidays, he recovers. We could see a pattern; sickness came when he was in school."

Lois Woodbury noticed the same pattern with her daughter, Kimberly, who used to attend Burlington High School until her family pulled her out and enrolled her in the Gann Academy in Waltham halfway through her sophomore year. She has had no problem with air quality in that school. Kimberly has asthma and allergies, which typically bring on symptoms such as swollen eyes, wheezing, coughing, and migraine headaches. But the symptoms were normally brought under control by her medications -- except when she attended Burlington schools.

Now she wants to return to Burlington High School to spend her senior year with friends.

Meanwhile, at the Memorial School parents have become active, establishing a group named the Air Quality Control Committee. The committee has circulated a survey, asking parents if their children have suffered headaches, dizziness, or any ailments that could be associated with poor air.

Gretchen Clark, whose second-grader attends the Memorial School, heads the committee.

''I've heard from parents who have kids that come home complaining about headaches or trouble breathing," said Clark, who could not say how many children were having problems. ''My child has asthma. To be in a school with poor ventilation is just terrible."

Concerns over school air quality are not unique to Burlington but have surfaced in other communities. Schools are a worry because most are old, with faulty ventilation and flat roofs that make them prone to leaks -- conditions ripe for mold growth.

''A lot of people are becoming more educated about this issue," said Meg Ansara, Massachusetts director of the advocacy and lobbying group Stand for Children.

''Schools contain children, a population most susceptible to air quality issues and they're all sharing the same air, along with the teachers and school staff. Any problem in the environment can affect a lot of people every day."

The state Health Department has examined air quality in schools in 12 communities so far this year, 36 last year, and 41 in 2003. Last year, state Health Department inspections found elevated levels of carbon dioxide at Burbank Elementary School in Belmont, North Reading Middle School, and North Intermediate School in Wilmington.

School officials in each town said carbon dioxide levels have decreased to acceptable levels after the school systems took various actions such as making repairs to ventilation systems.

In its inspection reports, the state public health department states that carbon dioxide that results from inadequate ventilation ''is not a problem in and of itself." But the department says the conditions that give rise to high carbon dioxide levels can also allow the ''buildup of common indoor air pollutants."

Michael Feeney, a director in the health department's Center for Environmental Health, said high carbon dioxide levels indicate poor ventilation.

''The ventilation system is not replacing enough exhaust air with fresh air," he said. ''Some kids may react to these conditions much differently than the general population of students."

Despite the assurances and actions by the School Department, in Burlington parents are still wary of the air in the three schools.

The state health department guideline for carbon dioxide is 800 parts per million in public buildings, though a lower threshold of 600 parts per million is recommended for schools.

Each of the three Burlington schools indicated carbon dioxide levels in excess of the health department guideline.

The 1997 tests at the high school detected levels above 800 parts per million in 26 classrooms and both cafeterias.

The test conducted at the Memorial School found carbon dioxide levels above 800 parts per million in 20 of 26 classrooms. Tests at the Marshall Simonds Middle School found levels over 800 parts per million in 23 of 40 classrooms and the gym at the school.

Robinson said school officials are aware of the concerns of the Peterson and Woodbury families. He said he knew of no other students who had stayed out of school buildings because of air-quality issues.

Robinson said the carbon dioxide problem has been dealt with at the high school. He expects the problems at Marshall Simonds have been eliminated with the final work on the ventilation systems, which was recently completed. He also said the Memorial School will be outfitted with the exhaust fans by the start of the school year.

''We sympathize with any parents with sick children," said Robinson. ''We're doing as much as we can do."

Alexander Reid can be reached at areid@globe.com.