Staff says Corona del Sol makes them sick

Angry teachers and parents demanded Wednesday night that the Tempe Union High School District commission a study to look into health problems - including brain and uterine tumors - that have affected staff at Corona del Sol High School.

Some in the crowd that filled the high school's auditorium called the building "sick" and blamed both the state and district for not doing enough to clean it up.

The meeting was called by district officials who wanted to explain in detail about the school's poor air quality and what they are doing to help fix it.

Environmental reports have shown the school has elevated levels of carbon dioxide and poor air flow.

While the district has tried to get some $17 million in emergency state funding to fix the school's aging ventilation system, the state has rejected the requests.

The district says it does not have enough money to fix the problem on its own.

Meanwhile, students and staff report recurring headaches and respiratory problems. And some community members believe the health problems could be even more serious.

Tempe City Councilwoman Barb Carter, who used to teach at Corona, is one of at least seven current and former staff members at the school to have a benign brain tumor. And while she said her doctors can prove no link to the building she worked in for 20-plus years, she and others at the school haven't ruled it out.

Kathy Shamley, who teaches social studies at Desert Vista High School, said she left Corona del Sol several years ago because of that same health concern.

"I guaranteed my husband if one more person had a brain tumor in my hallway, I would leave. And I did," she said. "This is a great school. It is a great faculty. But this building is sick. You need to fix it."

Wednesday also marked the first time many Corona del Sol teachers began to speak out about the situation.

"We are always encouraged, as teachers, not to speak to media at events like this, but I think it's really important for some of the teachers to speak out," English teacher Andrew Lawrence encouraged the crowd, leading other teachers to voice their concerns.

Cindy Glick, an English teacher, asked district officials to start a formal documentation of staff members who have had tumors and serious respiratory illnesses.

"When will the district collect an unbiased, outside health survey of the staff?" she asked, to applause and cheers.

Superintendent Steve Adolph did not make any promises on conducting a study.

"If I believed that the health of any students or staff was in danger, I'd have closed this school down," he said.