Neil Armstrong Elementary School in Hoffman Estates was closed indefinitely Thursday after officials there cited health concerns about mildewing carpets.
More than 750 pupils will be out of school Friday and Monday, according to a letter sent home to parents. By Tuesday, each will have been reassigned to one of three other schools in Elementary School District 54.
“We know this is an inconvenience, but we also know that everyone believes safety is our No. 1 priority,” Supt. Lynne Rauch wrote in the letter.
“We are experiencing a concern with mold and mildew conditions existing in carpets of some of the classrooms,” the letter read. “This concern comes as a result of very wet conditions that provide an environment for mold to grow.”
Rauch sent home letters with pupils Thursday explaining that attempts to clean and treat the carpets had failed. The letter stated that workers will remove carpeting in the entire building, find the cause of the dampness and a lay a new floor.
More Top Picks Best Blackout Tents For Beds
The letter also stated that officials are unsure of the condition of the floor under the carpeting and further work may need to be done.
Rauch could not be reached for comment Thursday night.
Though district officials did not comment on why the high mold and mildew conditions prompted them to temporarily close the school, health officials say these conditions can trigger allergies and asthma in children.
The news of the closing surprised and frustrated some parents.
Hoffman Estates resident Greg Duray said he was disappointed his 8-year-old daughter would be forced into another school so early in the year.
“They were aware of this problem over the summer,” said Duray, who said he had bought a home adjacent to Armstrong so his daughter, Lauren, could avoid taking the bus. “It seems they could have taken care of this earlier.”
Rauch said in the letter that every attempt will be made to continue the school year with “as little disruption as possible.”
Pupils are to remain with their assigned teachers for the 1997-98 school year. Children who walk to school will be bused from the Armstrong School parking lot, 1320 Kingsdale Rd., at 8:30 a.m.
Armstrong pupils in kindergarten though 2nd grade will attend classes at Twinbrook Elementary, 1025 Ash Rd., Hoffman Estates. Those in 3rd, 4th and 5th grades will be sent to Hillcrest Elementary, 500 Hillcrest Blvd., Schaumburg. Sixth graders will go to Campanelli Elementary, 310 S. Springinsguth Rd., Schaumburg.
Armstrong Principal Pamela Samson said late Thursday that PTA members had created a telephone chain to alert parents.
For some parents, the phone calls came as a surprise. They said they had no idea the school had a mildew problem with the carpets.
Although the closing means the school schedule will be disrupted, at least one parent is glad school officials have taken precautions.
“I feel, and most of the parents I’ve talked to feel, it’s a small inconvenience when you measure it against the safety of your child,” said one woman who has two children at the school and didn’t want her name used. “I think we’re all pleased they’ve treated it as a serious health issue and have acted upon it.”