MONTGOMERY COUNTY, Md. (DC News Now) – Nancy McInerney is the mother of a student at New Hampshire Estates Elementary School in Silver Spring. She says constant issues with the school’s heating and cooling systems have left students and teachers working in unsafe conditions. That’s why she ’s pushing for changes. “I am very concerned about the health of those children,” McInerney said. McInerney also serves as the school’s PTA president and says teachers raised concerns to her about conditions in the building. PHOTOS: Cherry blossoms start to flower as peak bloom nears “New Hampshire Estates is three levels,” she said, “but the bottom-most level is in a basement. It’s had issues with the basement being wet.” McInerney says that has caused many problems. “Mold is growing because the humidity is so high in that basement area,” she explained. “Also, I was told that there was a leak; literally water coming through one of the walls.” McInerney says she has brought her concerns to Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS) multiple times, but she doesn’t think they’re addressing the problem fast enough. “HVAC system is not fixed,” she said. “They’re waiting for a professional engineer to come in, but that was supposed to come right away, and it hasn’t.” DC News Now reached out to MCPS. The school district’s public information officer responded with the following statement: We acknowledge the ongoing concerns regarding humidity and water infiltration at New Hampshire States Elementary School. Since August 2024, we have taken the following actions: our Indoor Air Quality (IAQ) team conducted three complaint-driven investigations, the facility improvement team completed mold remediation, and dehumidifiers were installed in the lower-level wing. To further address these issues, we have engaged a mechanical engineering firm to evaluate the HVAC system and recommend solutions for humidity control. In addition, we are sending a team to the school to investigate these most recent concerns. ...read more read less