Carpets, old floor tiling and ceiling tiles have been removed. Ventilators have also been cleaned in 14 rooms at Banfield Elementary School as part of a mold removal project.

Lori Volz, the Austin Public Schools' director of finance and operations, reported the status of the project at Monday's school board meeting.

"Phases one, two and three have been completed," Volz said.

Phase one which includes rooms 500, 502, 504, 506 and 508, which had tile installed after removing mold underneath the carpeting. Tiles in phase two in the 300 wing and phase three in the south side of the 500 wing will be installed in March.

"It is good news that we got this issue resolved," Volz said.

The carpet in other areas of the building was also cleaned and sanitized. Tests done by the Institute of Environment Assessment (IEA) show the mold in the mentioned areas has been removed and the quality of the air is at a better status, Volz said.

The mold, which surfaced last summer, was an irritant and not toxic.

"But we still needed to take care of it," Volz said.

She explained that the mold can affect students that suffer from allergies or other respiratory conditions, such as asthma.

Humidity levels last summer were considered one of the main factor leading the mold to grow. The use of water to clean carpets and condensation was also a factor.

Volz explained that after all the analyzation was done in the affected rooms, it came down to the high levels of humidity experienced that summer and installing tile would be the best way to prevent it.

Fees of the project have been funded by $142,000 from the safety and health budgets and $36,000 for the tile from operating capital budget.

"We will take one building at a time, then move on to the next," Volz said.

Neveln elementary is next on the list, followed by Southgate elementary. Prioritizing for the buildings was done by the IEA by a series of reviews.

Further action in the matter will be taken this summer. The tunnel area in the 500 wing will be abated for mold and asbestos. The district will consider replacing old carpet with tile in the areas that would be susceptible to mold growth.

Other items in the agenda:

Recognitions of Candace Raskin, who earned a doctorate degree. Energy Star awards to four schools in the district including Austin High School, Neveln, Southgate and Sumner elementaries. The schools receive the awards for their efforts in saving energy. Each school received a metal plaque.

School board committee appointments were approved with the exception of the negotiation committees, which will be tabled until February.

Roxana Orellana can be reached by 434-2214 or by e-mail at roxana.orellana@austindailyherald.com