Malibu High Shuts Down Three Additional Classrooms

By City News Service

Administrators worked to shut down three additional classrooms at Malibu High School Thursday night and relocate some classes to a nearby church and clubhouse, as parent fears of a reported cancer cluster caused attendance to drop.
  
Principal Jerry Block told parents by letter "although we have no evidence that there are any environmental issues with our Music Building, we understand that some parents are concerned about sending their children into these classrooms. As a result, we will be relocating our music classes, effective on Monday.''

The letter was part of an action plan outlined by Santa Monica-Malibu Unified School District Superintendent Sandra Lyon Wednesday.
  
Two music classes were to be moved to the Malibu Methodist Church, across Morning View Drive from the school. One music class was to move to the Malibu Boys and Girls Club, on campus.
  
Other classes have already been moved to empty rooms on the campus, or to a next-door elementary school. Crossing guards have been hired to guide students across the busy street and driveway next to the combined middle and high school, home to 1,120 students in sixth through 12th grades.
  
The school's parents, students and staff were roiled Sunday when news broke that six teachers at the school were diagnosed with thyroid cancer or thyroid disease. Other teachers reported other forms of cancer, hair loss, and numerous migraine headaches being treated by doctors.
  
Of the school's 60 teachers, 20 said they suspected mold, chemicals or other workplace contaminants. The school began testing for harmful substances three weeks ago, but did not notify parents or students.
  
Aggravating concerns was the little-noticed removal of 1,017 cubic yards of soil contaminated with carcionogenic PCBs, pesticides and other contaminants during summer vacation in 2011. That project was not publicized at the time.
  
A show of hands at a packed meeting Monday showed dozens of parents with children with migraines. Parents requested that medical tracking studies be implemented immediately, as dozens of children spent the day at home.
  
Exact attendance figures were not available.
  
The principal said today that "we know that many of you are struggling
right now with sending your child to the Malibu High School campus.''
He stressed that recent tests have found no mold or pollution, but classes would
be relocated "to help ameliorate parent and staff concerns." 

"Though we hope you will continue to send your children to school on a daily basis, we want to offer families the option of short-term independent study until the environmental studies are complete,'' Block wrote. "Our teachers are very sympathetic toward parent concerns about the environment on our campus.''

Is the school/district doing enough to keep students safe while it gathers environmental data? What more, if anything, should they be doing? Tell us in the comments section.