Two families from Long Grove say their children have been suffering from health problems for years. They believe the cause is rooted in their kids’ public school.
Scarlett Strezewski, 13, says she first noticed symptoms when she was 12 years old.
“I would feel very dizzy and I would feel like the room was spinning. I would come down with these major headaches,” Scarlett told NBC 5 Responds. The symptoms began while she was a student at Woodlawn Middle School.
“It was a little bit scary not knowing what was happening with my body because I never experienced these symptoms before,” Scarlett explained.
Her parents say they watched their daughter’s condition deteriorate over time. Her father, John Strezewski, recalled, “At the end she was in there for 45 minutes to an hour and we just had to pick her up. So at that point, we knew we had to make other choices.”
So the Strezewskis set out to get answers. When Scarlett’s blood and urine were analyzed, the lab work showed she was found to be suffering from mold toxicity. The culprit: exposure to mycotoxins.
The World Health Organization says mycotoxins are toxic compounds produced by certain molds that can cause health problems. Scarlett’s doctor wrote a letter stating it’s “imperative” for Scarlett to be “excused from being physically present at school.”
The school district approved Scarlett for at-home learning. Her father said she was on homebound services for several months, and she received a tutor for one hour per day.
The Strezewski family requested a transfer to another school. They told NBC Chicago the process took five months. Ultimately, the transfer was denied by the school district. “We were just flabbergasted by that result,” said John Strezewski. They eventually moved Scarlett to a private school. She says she is no longer experiencing the symptoms.
Another Family Comes Forward
The Strezewskis learned their daughter wasn’t the only student at Woodlawn Middle School suffering from mold toxicity.
Patrick Lee says his son, Isaac, has aged out of Woodlawn Middle School. But while Isaac was there, he started experiencing symptoms similar to Scarlett’s. And Like Scarlett, Isaac tested positive for mycotoxin exposure.
Looking for Answers
The Environmental Protection Agency doesn’t have regulations or standards for levels of airborne mold or contaminants. But still, tests are available to analyze mold and mycotoxins.
The Lee and Strezewski families took it upon themselves to find a lab that tests for mycotoxins. They purchased a test and collected samples from an air vent at Woodlawn Middle School. John Strezewski said he swabbed an air intake vent in the school’s gym.
The test results found what the parents suspected to be true. They showed elevated levels of mycotoxins in the school. These are the same types of toxins found in Scarlett and Isaac’s blood and urine samples.
NBC Chicago wanted to talk with Kildeer Countryside Community Consolidated School District 96 about the test results. The school district declined to speak with NBC Chicago on camera, but it did direct us to results from its own mold testing. The assessment found “mold growth is not a concern in these schools.”
NBC Chicago took the test results from the school and from the families to the American Academy of Clinical Toxicology. The organization explained the school district’s tests were for mold and did not appear to test for mycotoxins. Those are the toxic substances believed to cause Scarlett and Isaac’s symptoms.
The AACT also noted: a sample that is collected by someone who doesn’t have training to do so may yield results that are not as reliable.
NBC 5 Investigates 19 hours agoHighland Park teen's death leads parents to call for change in troubled teen industry
NBC 5 Responds Mar 14Millions of SSA beneficiaries are getting surprise $6K payments. Do you qualify?
Response from the School District
We asked Kildeer Countryside Community Consolidated School District 96 if it tested for mycotoxins, and if so, where we can find those results. It didn’t respond directly to that question. Instead, it sent us a statement which reads:
“We believe these claims to be unfounded on the basis of thorough testing performed by independent, internationally recognized, third-party professionals following sampling methodologies accredited by the American Industrial Hygiene Association. As we have stated in the past, our district is committed to maintaining the highest standards for safety and ensuring our facilities are fully compliant with all federal, state, regional, and local environmental regulations. We have gone to great lengths to communicate with individual families, hear their concerns, and devote district resources to gathering the facts.
We are not authorized to publicly discuss any student’s particular circumstances due to federal and state privacy laws, including the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) and the Illinois School Student Records Act (ISSRA) which protect the confidentiality of student education records. Disclosing any personally identifiable student information would violate these laws and compromise the student’s privacy. The District is committed to maintaining a safe and respectful environment for all students and families, ensuring that individual student matters are handled appropriately and confidentially.
For transparency, we have made the findings of two independent environmental reports—both conducted through detailed evaluations—publicly available. You will also find our previously issued public statement from September 2024, along with the full environmental reports, please visit: www.kcsd96.org/finance/country-meadows-woodlawn-environmental-reports.“
What’s Next?
The school district says a third-party industrial hygienist and toxicologist will discuss their findings during the Board of Education meeting scheduled for April 1. Staff unions from the school district are also expected to speak at the meeting.
In the meantime, the Strezewski and Lee families hope sharing their stories will spark change. Scarlett’s mother, Lindsay, told NBC 5 Responds, “We’re very hopeful that as a community we can have more of us coming together and banding together and hopefully pushing the school into doing the right thing, which is really just doing a more in depth investigation into their air and really seeing, you know, first hand what’s happening that’s causing all of this.”
Read More Details
Finally We wish PressBee provided you with enough information of ( Suburban Chicago parents connect children's health issues with their kids' public school )
Also on site :