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A group of Collier Elementary School students is suffering from sore throats, hacking coughs and runny noses, and their parents say the symptoms are caused by a mold problem in their classroom.

At least four parents with children in Kari Ewen's kindergar-ten class have claimed the classroom poses a hazard to their children, and Ewen has complained to Superintendent Roger Pfeuffer and other district officials.

The school district's risk-management and environmental services department has conducted a series of tests that checked the air for mold spores and concluded that there was not enough to cause a danger to students, said department Director Lauren Eib.

The district has since hired an environmental consultant to analyze the district's test results and conduct his own tests, which are going on now, Eib said.

School and district officials held a meeting on Sept.18 at the school, at 3900 North Bear Canyon Road, to address parents' concerns.

Despite the district's effort to find and eradicate what parents say is a problem, parents are still upset.

"It's all risk management. They're not there for the kids' health, but to see how much it's going to cost," said parent Kim Thompson.

Thompson said her 5-year-old daughter has missed five days of school this year because of coughing, a sore throat and other allergy symptoms.

Thompson has talked with school and district officials and sent a letter on Sept. 4 addressed to the principal, superintendent and risk-management department, she said.

Thompson's doctor confirmed that her daughter's allergies are mold-related, she said.

The allergies have now turned into asthma. "She never went through this at home," Thompson said.

Ewen said she complained that there was mold in the classroom before the school year began.

"I went to the principal, human resources. I told five different people," she said. "I told them it was an emergency."

The risk-management office went to the school to conduct testing on Aug. 13 and concluded that there was not a sizable level of mold at the school. Her students, however, were still coughing, Ewen said.

"I said I want a better test, and people to get out here and take apart the ceilings," she said.

Most of her 16 students have suffered from excessive coughing this year, she said.

Ewen, who was hired this year, was placed on indefinite paid administrative leave on Sept. 17 for behaving unprofessionally, she said, presumably for complaining about what she says is a mold problem.

The decision to place Ewen on leave was unrelated to the claims she made about mold in her classroom, said district spokeswoman Chyrl Hill Lander.

Lander would not give any other details about Ewen's leave.

Ewen said she has had allergic reactions caused by the mold. "My hands had red and white spots by the end of the day," she said.

She also suffered from headaches and severe coughing, she said.

The school district's risk-management and environmental services department heard about the mold complaint and responded on the same day, Eib said.

"We went out to check for visible signs of damage, but, because of the level of concern, we did air sampling," she said.

The air quality inside the classroom was better than the outside air quality, she said.

"If the inside air is the same or better, then it's OK," she said.

Eib hired an industrial hygienist to analyze the district's test results because she did not believe the parents trusted the district's test, she said.

The industrial hygienist set up a monitor last week that will check for contaminants that are difficult to find and measures the efficiency of the ventilation system.

The classroom had some flooding in January after a pipe burst in the ceiling, but restoration teams cleaned the room and there was no evidence of mold growth, said Brian Gladhart, president of Briter Environmental and Chemical Consultants Inc..

Last week, Gladhart checked the area where the flood damage had occurred and set up the monitor.

The monitor will be in the classroom for at least a week, he said.

Mold symptoms can vary among people, but can include coughing, worsening asthma and a runny nose, said Dr. Randy Horwitz, an allergist at the University of Arizona.

"I have seen people with mild exposures get fatigue and headaches," said Horwitz, who is medical director of the program in integrative medicine at the UA.

Amy Bocage, a parent volunteer in the kindergarten class, said she has had a sore throat, swollen glands and asthma symptoms since the school year began.

Bocage's son has had chest pains and a sore throat, she said.

"He coughs so hard his face turns red," she said.

Bocage asked her doctor for a referral so she could take her son to see an allergist, she said.

Her son missed about four days in a two-week period, she said.

"I don't even want to send him to school."