Advice varies depending on the type of mold found and the size of the growth, but experts commonly advise:

All schools, new or old, can experience indoor air quality problems.  The Environmental Protection Agency and The American Lung Association are urging schools to take some simple precautions to clear the air inside their buildings.

Molds are simple plants belonging to the fungus family.  Always present in the air, molds need moisture and warmth to grow, as well as a food source - like the ceiling tile near a school steam pipe, or the walls in a flooded basement.  As it grows, mold release vast quantities of spores, which can make life miserable for people who are sensitive to them.  Theses are a few of the common molds that can infest school buildings.  Although most molds do not cause serious illness, some can produce toxins that can infect the lungs, bloodstream or brain, and most can trigger allergic reactions:

Molds (What to do?)
What parents can do?
	Make a visual inspection of areas where mold is likely to grow, including basements, crawl spaces, carpets, ceiling tiles, insulation, and heating and air conditioning units.
	If you suspect your house is contaminated, it is best to have samples testy by trained professionals.  Check with your local environmental health department, the Yellow Pages or www.envirocenter.com for companies in your area.
	Serious mold removal problems may also best be handled by professionals, but if you handle it yourself, you should wear a respirator, goggles, rubber gloves and waterproof boots.  Open all windows in the house.
	Fix any leaks that caused the mold to grow.  Remove carpets, furniture and any items with absorbent material.  These items may have to be discarded if they are not dried thoroughly within 24 hours.
	Stained or moldy ceiling tiles, carpet, wall board, and insulation should be replaced altogether.  Watertight surfaces such as kitchen floors should be cleaned with one cup of laundry bleach mixed with one gallon of water.
Symptoms
	Be alert for health complaints that could signal a problem with indoor air quality, such as increased absenteeism, allergic reactions, respiratory problems like asthma, nosebleeds, eye irritation, rashes, headaches, lethargy, and complaints about musty odors, especially if the symptoms fade after the person leaves the school building or home.
	Some pollutants can cause serious health problems.  Long-term exposure to radon gas can cause lung cancer.  Young children or people with weakened immune system can suffer serious - potentially fatal - reactions to the mycotoxins in some species of mold, with health problems ranging from brain damage to bleeding lungs and blood-borne infections.
What schools can do
	Examine heating, air conditioning and ventilation ducts to ensure they are clear of dust, mold and other pollutants.  Make sure that at least 20 percent of the air circulating in the building is fresh air from outside.
	Look for telltale blacking stains on ceilings and walls.  Don't just remove one stained tile or paint over the wall; look for the source of the moisture.  Musty odors also signal mold's presence.
	After floods or heavy rains, inspect the property - mold and mildew can begin sprouting anywhere from three to 24 hours after a drenching.  Once mold sprouts on porous materials like ceiling tiles or wallboards, the only solution is to remove the material-bleach and cleaners can only clean the surface, not the roots of the mold deep in the material.
	Inspect art rooms, labs and other potential sources of toxins that could be released into the air.  Consider all potential irritants, from chalkboards to classroom pets.  Even having to may plants can raise humidity levels and trigger a mold outbreak.
	Carpets are a rich growth medium for mold, dust and allergens.  Remove them, or inspect them frequently and make sure you have the proper cleaning equipment, like vacuums with special filters.
Mold verities
	Aspergillus flavus: a mold allergen and potential cancer source that can cause serious, potentially fatal, lung infections in people with weakened immune systems.  Like the other aspergillus strains, it is blue-green in color.
	Aspergillus fumigatus: a mold allergen that can cause lung infections
	Aspergillus versicolor: a very common mold that forms on water-damaged building materials
	Penicillium species: a common allergen, blue-green in color, found on water-damaged building materials.  It can produce dangerous toxins.
	Fusarium species: molds that can flourish in water damage, may produce potent toxins.
For more information please contact your local environmental health department Shiawassee County Environmental Health Department 210 N. Shiawassee Street Corunna, Michigan 48817 (989) 743-2390