Officials in Plano Independent School District finally addressed the issue of mold in Murphy Middle School after students, parents, and teachers complained.
But for some, the issue is not resolved.
Principal Tramy Tran emailed Murphy families on Tuesday to “address recent concerns” regarding air quality and “potential black mold” in the building.
Tran confirmed that the district had hired a third party to conduct a “limited” mold inspection, which concluded that air quality inside the school was “well within acceptable range and presents no health concerns.”
At least one Murphy student’s mom is still concerned, as are several staff members.
Since the start of the school year, Meghan Vecchio’s son has been suffering headaches. She began to suspect they might be related to poor air quality caused by mold or mildew after he complained of bad smells in several classrooms.
Those suspicions were bolstered when Vecchio learned that several Murphy teachers were out sick, possibly due to mold-related illnesses, and that the district had conducted mold testing and attempted to clean away the smells.
When she began asking questions and requested a visit to see her son’s school for herself, she was put off, then had a scheduled appointment postponed until Monday, September 22.
According to Vecchio, Deputy Superintendent Johnny Hill called her ahead of the meeting. Hill told her that teachers had reported the mold, and he assured her the district had “fixed” it. Plano ISD’s Chief of Business Services Steve Ewing was also on the call.
Vecchio and her husband were allowed to tour the school on the 22nd, but only under strict conditions.
That morning, Hill emailed Vecchio laying out “expectations” for the tour, adding that it was “a courtesy by Plano ISD” and not required by law.
Hill stated that he, Chief of Safety and Security Kevin Keating, and Murphy Middle School SRO Officer Connor LeBaron would accompany the two parents on the tour of specified classrooms.
He also said no pictures or videos would be allowed, cautioning, “Failure to follow this request will result in the immediate termination of the tour.”
Vecchio called the 20-minute tour inconclusive, saying she saw signs of recent cleanup, including new carpet in classrooms where the district had first attempted to shampoo out the smells while her campus visit was delayed.
The next day, Principal Tran released her statement to Murphy families.
Tran said mold became an issue over the summer “due to humidity in the building that created a musty smell.” Plano ISD then completed a “deep clean of relevant areas” and conducted a mold inspection.
“As an added precaution, the district contracted with another independent service provider to complete a deep cleaning and preventative measures in the reported areas,” Tran stated.
Vecchio obtained a copy of the September 4 Limited Environment Mold Assessment Report provided by ERC Environmental and Construction Services.
While the principal’s message highlighted the absence of “black mold,” ERC detected varying levels of other molds throughout Murphy Middle School and recommended several remediation measures.
The report cited visible mold and mildew and “noticeable humidity” but concluded that airborne mold spore levels were “acceptable.”
However, a third-party professional review of ERC’s mold assessment concluded that additional testing is warranted.
“It is my professional opinion that a re-inspection with an expanded scope is required to protect occupant health, comply with best-practice guidance, and restore confidence in the campus environment,” wrote Wendy Michaelis of FixAIRx in a September 11 report.
Vecchio also contacted David Alkins, a code compliance officer for the city of Murphy, where the school is located.
Alkins responded Friday morning that he was aware of the concerns. Alkins said he had visited the school, met with the principal to discuss the issues, and requested additional records from the district.
“We will continue to investigate this matter once we receive more information from the open records request,” wrote Alkins.
Parents with students attending Murphy Middle School may contact campus or district administrators with questions or concerns.
