Alamance-Burlington school system officials announced Monday that potential mold contamination was discovered at Broadview and Cummings over the weekend, after teachers returned to work on Friday in order to get ready for the new school year that begins August 28.
ABSS officials said that mold testing is being conducted at Cummings High and Broadview Middle schools, and that they were waiting on test results to determine the next steps.
“It has come to our attention that there are recurring mold problems in parts of these school facilities,” ABSS superintendent Dr. Dain Butler elaborated in a statement. “Upon closer inspection, it appears that some of these issues have been neglected over the years and allowed to worsen. With the recent construction work and fluctuations in weather, the mold growth has accelerated. We want to assure families that [ABSS] is taking this seriously and plans to address the problem comprehensively.”
ABSS officials said that they will work to identify underlying potential causes of mold, including leaks, moisture buildup, and poor ventilation, and that all areas of any affected buildings will be thoroughly cleaned before staff and students return to school on August 28.
Students and staff from Newlin Elementary School will be temporarily relocated to Ray Street Academy when the new school year starts on Monday, August 28, ABSS officials announced this week. Students and staff from Ray Street also will be temporarily moved to Graham Middle School.
ABSS officials recently reported that mold had been discovered at Andrews and Newlin elementary schools. ABSS has spent approximately $1.2 million in county capital funding to remediate mold contamination and repair HVAC systems at Andrews and Newlin, under two separate contracts that the school board approved earlier this month.
The mold contamination at Andrews had been attributed to a broken compressor in an HVAC unit; the contamination at Newlin had been attributed to “air flow issues related to humidity,” ABSS officials have said.
The mold remediation at Andrews Elementary School was complete, and the school is now ready for occupancy, ABSS officials said in a news release issued late Saturday night.
While mold is naturally present in the environment, moisture, humidity, and lack of sunlight can contribute to the growth of mold spores that can be harmful to some individuals, particularly those with compromised immune systems or other underlying health conditions, according to the Institute for the Environment at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
Butler said this week that school board members will discuss hiring an outside firm to conduct air quality testing and assess roofing systems at all ABSS schools at their next meeting on Monday night, August 28.
