NC School District Faces $700K in Mold Cleanup Costs

According to WGHP-TV, 500 elementary school students in Burlington, North Carolina, might be displaced at the start of the school year due to a severe mold infestation that could cost the Alamance-Burlington School System (ABSS) at least US$700,000.

In July, the summer cleaning crew at Andrews Elementary School made the discovery of mold on desks, tables, and chairs, as well as around return vents and doors within the school. According to WGHP, a leaky air conditioning unit, combine with this summer’s severe heat, created the mold problem.

“The engineers did explain today that, fortunately, we do not have what’s called toxigenic type molds in the building, and it’s really room specific,” Les Atkins, ABSS public information officer, told WGHP. “So, it’s not like the entire building is mold infested.” However, no teachers or administrators are currently being allowed inside the school building.

The ABSS school year starts for students on August 28, with teachers needing to return in less than two weeks on August 18, WGHP reports. At a recent meeting to address the problem, the school board immediately approved taking action to mitigate the mold, but whether the work can be done in time for the start of the school year is still in question.

“Just so our families know, we do have a plan in place to relocate students to other facilities, should we need to do that,” Atkins said.

Mold and other types of fungi are increasingly becoming a problem on a worldwide scale. Check out Is Fungus the Cleaning Industry’s Next Biggest Challenge? to learn more.