To whom it may concern,

As a senior at Kickapoo High School, I can say that my educational experience has been far from dull. Opportunities at Kickapoo have led me to numerous leadership positions, a 4.0 GPA, and an admirable career goal. In may, as I move my tassel from the right to the left, I will be proud to graduate as a Chief. I appreciate the hard work from our school's administration, as well as the administration at Springfield Public Schools, to provide an exceptional learning environment for its students.

That being said, I am disappointed to hear the news that has circulated around my high school about the reoccurring green and black mold that is growing and has yet to be addressed. It is my understanding that mold has been a problem at Kickapoo in the past; however, that problem was eliminated with the installation of a new HVAC system ( paid by taxpayers, including my parents) last year. Being present in the building after hours, it is noticeable that the air is turned off until the following morning. The humidity is high, causing the mold to return and grow. I understand that the process of removing black mold is long and costly, but I think the possibility of a lawsuit by parents whose children are affected would be an even longer and more costly process. Thousands of dollars worth of textbooks have already been thrown away due to the mold that was growing on them, I find this to be a problem for teachers whose curriculums involve the use of those books.

Every day, I hear dozens of students complain about some of their classrooms that are humid and reek of mold, this disrupts the student's learning because they are not able to focus in class. Luckily, for those students, they only have to endure the smell and humidity for and hour and a half, but what about the affected teachers that are contained in their classrooms for 8+ hours a day? It concerns me when my class is asked not to come to a computer lab from fear that the smell of mold will make someone sick, it concerns me when I have to hold my breath in the hallway to avoid smelling mold from when the air was turned off the night before, and it concerns me that student's parents do not believe that there is black mold growing in the school because the district has not been open about the situation.

I inform the public of this issue not because I want to attack the school district, but because I would like the problem to be addressed and quickly fixed. Black mold is a health risk to all students and faculty members at Kickapoo High School. I am afraid that if the situation is not addressed soon that the well-being of many will be in jeopardy. I love Kickapoo High School and I want it to be a healthy environment for all Chiefs.