July 30, 2014

 

 

Dear Codwell Elementary School Community,

 

This letter is being mailed to provide you with information regarding mold being found in our school recently and the impact it is going to have on our school community. Please know that your child was not in danger at any time last year, because the mold was contained in sealed areas behind the walls. However, because the safety of our students is our top priority, we have made the difficult decision to relocate all school operations for the 2014-2015 school year. We will relocate to 4103 Brisbane, the former location of Rhoads Elementary and most recently, the Inspired for Excellence charter school.

 

School registration will take place at the new campus beginning August 12. The new campus is only minutes away from Codwell, and we will provide transportation for all students who request it. Our teachers will have plenty of time to set up their new classrooms for the first day of school on August 25. We are doing everything we can to make Rhoads feel like home and minimize any disruption to your child’s learning environment. 

 

 

The mold was discovered this summer during the removal of portions of the corridor walls as part of the foundation repairs at Codwell. A professional consultant was called out to investigate, and unfortunately mold was found in other areas of the school as well. HISD’s Construction and Facility Services (CFS) has engaged a licensed subcontractor to remove the mold, and all the cleanup work is being closely monitored by CFS. Additional repairs are being done to prevent any future moisture problems at Codwell, including grading around the school to keep water away from the foundation. 

 

We want to stress that as long as the mold remained undisturbed behind the walls, it did not pose a health hazard to students or staff. But as construction began at the facility this summer and materials were removed to facilitate the structural repairs, we saw the potential for the mold spores to become airborne. For that reason, we decided to temporarily relocate the school as we finish all the structural repairs and remove the mold.

 

Our priority is to do what is best for our students, so we are planning to be at the new facility for at least the first semester. If we decide that it will be too disruptive to move back to Codwell over the winter break, we will stay at the new campus for the rest of the year. Please reassure your students that we will do everything we can to make the transitions as smooth as possible. 

 

I am looking forward to meeting all of you and working with your students this year.  I know we will collaborate as a school community to make Rhoads our home away from home until we move back to Codwell. 

 

If you have any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to call me at (713) 732-3580.

 

 

Best regards, 

 

Kristy Love

Principal

Codwell Elementary School