Parents concerned about leaky ceiling at Greater Latrobe Junior High School
LATROBE, Pa. (KDKA) — Bad weather is being blamed for a leaky ceiling at Greater Latrobe Junior High School. The superintendent says the situation is being handled, but some parents are concerned.
"We don't want them breathing in any mold or asbestos that might be in there," said one anonymous parent.
The parent provided KDKA-TV with recent photos from students inside the school showing trash cans collecting water and tarps used on the ceiling to catch water and bits of wet paneling.
Above all, parents are concerned that several students have been reporting a moldy or mildewy smell coming from these affected areas.
"Nothing is being done or told to the parents about it," the anonymous parent said. "We just want to know our kids are safe."
In a statement from Mrs. Becki Pellis, the Interim superintendent for the Greater Latrobe School District, she states that these leaks began in late January from "the building's downspouts freezing in sub-zero temperatures."
Once a thaw occurred, she said water from the roof started seeping into parts of the building, but Superintendent Pellis says that maintenance worked quickly to address the issue.
The statement also said that the order that was reported was attributed to asphalt-coated fiber boards within the roofing system.
It is important to note that the high school and junior high buildings were built in the 1960s, and while the complex has had many improvements since that time, there has been talk in recent years of building a new school.
Though the parent KDKA-TV spoke with says a new building is not the point here.
"I just want the school board members to come together and stop with the fight of a new building or not a new building," she said. "This isn't about a new building or a new roof. It's about the kids' health right now."
While the issue of mold was not directly addressed in the superintendent's statement, the statement did say that the superintendent and the school district remain committed to the health and safety of the student population.
