When students reached their second period math class last Friday morning, they were surprised to find a note on the door that said “meet in portable 12.” None of them knew about the room change until that day, and when they reached portable 12, the reasoning for the sudden move wasn’t astonishing but still inconvenient. Mold.
All three classes in the portables behind the gym had to be relocated due to mold in the ceiling which affected three classrooms; Mrs. Torchon, Ms. Kelhfoeher and Mr. DeValle, all of which are majority senior classes. One of the three classrooms wasn’t found to have mold in the ceiling but was moved out of precaution. Now these classes are using places like the PAC, Media Center, and other portables to accommodate for the change. The district is working on getting the portables cleared out so that classes may resume in their rooms, but it has been two weeks (including the week long Thanksgiving break) since students and teachers have been able to be in their original rooms.
The inconvenience of the move may be more of a problem than the mold itself.
“Since the mold came to my class, my grades have dropped tremendously because my teacher has no computer to add grades in,” said Senior Keisha Dorelien.
The move takes students and teachers out of their comfort zones and can even affect their normal class flow.
“I hate it, I absolutely hate it,” said math teacher Mrs. Torchon, who has been moved out of her portable. “It’s discouraging as a teacher to be floating, because not all teachers are comfortable with you using their space and room.”
The mold started after the heavy rains of Hurricane Irma and showers that followed damaged portable roofs.
It is not a shock that schools can accumulate mold, just like a house or business. Portables are no exception to the fact. They are used as buildings to quickly provide additional classroom space when there is a capacity overflow and many other schools in Palm Beach County use them as well. At Santaluces, Assistant Principal Mr. Montoya is in charge of facilities.
“The portables are currently getting worked on by the district. It’s out of our hands at this point. We had substantial rain damage from Irma and there are more roofs than there are workers,” said Mr. Montoya. ” I hate to have people displaced but it’s beyond our control.”
Some students have different feelings toward the situation.
“I don’t really care honesty, it [mold] shouldn’t be there in the first place, the school district should be on top of their policies,” said Junior Zachary Goniteky.
The situation is in the process of being resolved, and no one got sick from breathing in the mold. Students and teachers are doing their best to cope with the change until it’s time to move back in.
