HCPSSHCPSS, County Executive Kittleman Applaud Restoration of State Construction Funds for School System
May 10th, 2017
Media Contact:
Mark Miller, Administrator, Office of Public Information, 410-313-2022
John White, Director of Communication, Howard County Public School System, 410-313-6680
ELLICOTT CITY, MD – Howard County Executive Allan H. Kittleman today applauded the Maryland Board of Public Works for restoring $9.6 million in school construction funding to the Howard County Public School System (HCPSS), citing satisfaction with the additional information provided by the school system regarding its handling of mold in school buildings. BPW voted in January to temporarily withhold the funding, which was slated for upgrades to heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) at several HCPSS schools during the 2017-2018 academic year.
“Today’s vote by BPW allows us to move forward on these important HVAC projects,” said Kittleman. “I know that HCPSS is committed to improving the indoor environment in its schools and protecting the health and safety of its students and staff.”
“We appreciate this vote of confidence from the Board of Public Works, which recognized the quality work and commitment of our school construction and maintenance staff in providing healthy and safe learning environments in all of our buildings,” said Acting Superintendent Michael J. Martirano. “This week, I participated in an Indoor Environmental Quality inspection at Glenwood Middle School, and can personally attest to the effectiveness of our protocols in identifying and resolving environmental concerns.”
Last month, the school system received a letter from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) commending HCPSS for its success in implementing best practices for maintaining good Indoor Environmental Quality (IEQ) and its commitment to providing safe and healthy schools and offices.
The latest independent indoor air quality assessments, commissioned last year by Howard County Government, concluded that “HCPSS maintenance staff at each school is doing a good job of controlling indoor moisture and mold growth, resulting in the protection of the health of students and staff.” The county contracted with Skelly & Loy Inc., an independent professional engineering and environmental services firm, to conduct the independent IEQ assessments at Glenwood Middle School and 11 other schools. Results of those assessments can be found at http://www.howardcountymd.gov/schoolairtests.