news-record.com

Something is making students and faculty ill at Oak Ridge Elementary School. The source of the trouble could be mold -- or something else.

Guilford County Schools already has spent thousands of dollars trying to determine what's wrong. Carpets concealing mold were removed, and the heating/air conditioning system was cleaned. State school experts and local health investigators have joined in the search for the culprit. Still, no satisfactory answers.

Keep in mind this process has dragged on since 2005 and coincides with an addition to the school. But even though pinning down what's wrong with "sick buildings" is challenging, expensive and time-consuming, it can and should be done expeditiously.

At a meeting at the school Wednesday, angry parents and staff vented their frustrations at system administrators. They described having to withdraw children because of mysterious illnesses only to have them get better away from the school. Faculty members threatened to transfer elsewhere.

Unfortunately, they got neither reassurances nor satisfaction. One school official said, "As far as we know, there is not an issue here."

Such a response is unacceptable. Now it's up to Superintendent Maurice "Mo" Green to see that answers are forthcoming, preferably by the time the school reopens in September.

Admittedly, he already has a full plate with budgeting, athletics and student residency controversies. However, people attending the session seemed in agreement that he should take ownership of a persistent issue that is disrupting too many lives.

That will mean continuing to work closely with state agencies and perhaps getting help from private firms familiar with diagnosing and fixing apparent pollution-related health problems.

Providing a healthy, safe environment for students and staff is ground zero for the learning process.