Murphy – One local school is taking precautions as it waits for crews to handle a mold issue on its main campus.
After mold was confirmed at The Learning Center charter school on Connahetta Street almost immediately prior to school starting in August, officials will wait until workers are available to clear the mold over winter break. Meanwhile, class is continuing in the affected area, albeit with substantial ventilation.
School founder Mary Jo Dyre said the Cherokee County Health Department did not say it was dangerous to hold class in the presence of the Aspegillius Penicillium mold found in the classroom pod.
“The good news is that it would be Aspegillius Penicillium,” Dyre said.
“The bad news is the amount that was there.”
She said the school had already been ventilating classrooms beyond normal and taking related precautions due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
“I knew that if the state had something that said ‘no,’ the health department would know that,” Dyre said.
She said the mold was first identified by workers from ServPro after a parent complained of a smell in the classroom pod. A similar concern was raised a few years prior, but no mold was detected after an inspection.
Dyre said the school had first planned to have the mold mitigation taken care of earlier in the year, but the workers involved were dealing with their own COVID-19 issues at the time. She said completing the work over the school’s winter holiday would also be less disruptive to students, since none would be on campus during that time.
“We then found out that it was a very expensive process if you do it to its highest level,” Dyre said.
According to documents from ServPro’s communication with the school, the total cost of the mitigation comes to $15,937.04. The mitigation process includes several steps, ranging from cleaning the building’s HVAC system to air washing the vicinity and running large HEPA filters.
Dyre also addressed parents’ concerns, again reiterating that the school was taking all necessary precautions. The health department has not prohibited the school from using the affected area.
“We’re on the same team, she said. “They’re all about our kids and giving them a safe environment to have school. We’re one of the few schools that’s stayed on the masks because we want our kids to have as safe of an environment as possible.
“Considering that we can’t do it any faster, at least we’re doing everything we can in the meantime.”
Servpro crews will be working in the school from Dec. 18 through Jan. 4.
“We just want this resolved,” Dyre said. “I could have shot off some ways that may have produced some answers quicker. I didn’t because I didn’t trust the sources for the answers, not as much as I trust ServPro.”