HUGO, OKLAHOMA — Teachers at North Lamar’s Parker Elementary in Powderly were quick to lend a helping hand across state lines when about 400 students at Hugo Elementary School were forced to evacuate their building because of a mold problem.

On Thursday, Parker principle Billie Paskin delivered art supplies to teachers who had to leave everything behind Wednesday when word came to evacuate.

Parker teachers and assistants, who remembered Hugo Elementary helping Parker when their school burned a number of years ago, reciprocated, North Lamar public information director Carla Coleman said.

Kindergarten, first and second grade students are being housed at the Assembly of God Church and third grade students at First Baptist Church in Hugo, according to superintendent Tony Daugherty.

“We first found it in one area earlier, which tested airborne for non-toxic mold,” Daugherty said. “We went to another room and found some more.”

Out of precaution, Daugherty said the district decided to evacuate the building until a complete clean-up could be done.

“The wet weather we experienced during the summer and the fact that we’ve had some flooding in the building we believe contributed to the problem,” Daughtery said. “We have found mold behind vinyl walls.” The building is 17 years old.

The district has employed TRC Disaster Solution of Tulsa to pull all the vinyl and perform cleanup, which could prove to be costly.

“No matter the cost, it is going to have to be done,” Daughtery said. “Although we have not found any black mold, there are high enough spores of different kinds of molds that we felt like there was no choice.”

He said heating and air conditioning duct work also will be cleaned as well to improve circulation. That work is to be performed by Filter Service, Inc. of Powderly.

Daughtery said he hopes work will be completed by mid-January.

“We appreciate Aaron Parker Elementary for sending us many boxes of art work because our teachers had to leave everything,” Daughtery said.

The superintendent said help is coming from throughout the Hugo community as well.
 
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