District Investigates Mold Concerns at MMS

Millburn School Officials are bringing in experts to investigate whether there is mold at Milburn Middle School.

The district received a complaint of mold and started working immediately to investigate and address the problem if there is one, said Board of Education Member Regina Truitt, who heads the property committee.

The school board has already started a on the auditorium at the Middle School and is putting on a new roof as well, so, Truitt said, it's good timing for looking into it.

“We’re taking it very seriously,” Truitt said. “Experts have been called in and are in the process of looking into it.”

Neither Superintendent Dr. James Crisfield nor Business Administrator Steve DiGeronimo could be reached for comment on Friday, but Truitt said she thinks that DiGeronimo will be discussing the matter at Tuesday’s board meeting.

Emails were forwarded around the parent community on Friday that outlined one concern: A teacher that has worked in the instrument room had been sick a lot this year and had tested positive for adult-onset asthma and that her illnesses were caused by mold exposure.

Truitt said, “I’ve received a lot of calls and emails about it, too. And I can assure you we are taking it very seriously. It’s an old building with a lot of problems, but we’re taking care of it. And it’s good timing to find this out now while we’re do the renovations on it. If there's something, it will make it easier to take care of.”

Patch will update the story when more information becomes available.