Despite the efforts of round-the-clock environmental experts and clean-up crews, one mold-infested Texas high school says it will not be ready to reopen for fall classes in late August.
On Thursday, the Fort Bend Independent School District announced that Willowridge High continues to undergo extensive remediation to remove mold that facilities workers discovered inside the building earlier this summer.
Reportedly, district officials attributed the mold infestation to a prolonged absence of air conditioning in the building, raising humidity levels and creating a conducive environment for mold spores to multiply rapidly. In June, Fort Bend ISD turned off the air conditioning system during planned construction to the nearly 40-year-old high school. As a result, mold contaminated roughly 80 percent of the structure. According to the Houston Chronicle, the decision to leave the facility without air conditioning went against common practice in construction management.
The Willowridge mold remediation webpage notes that Fort Bend ISD will have to replace flooring, ceiling tile, sheetrock, classroom and office furniture, plus instructional materials and other equipment in the high school. The damages from the mold are so extensive that school officials estimate potentially shelling out more than $2 million in restoration costs, according to Houston Fox 26.
The school district launched the Willowridge webpage on Thursday to keep families informed on the cleanup and its progress. Meanwhile, approximately 1,300 displaced students patiently wait to learn where they will attend classes beginning on August 22.
Amanda Bubela, a spokeswoman for Fort Bend ISD, has said they intend to release more details about that plan within the next week once the district finalizes an alternative location for students to go to school.
Teachers were especially hard hit by the mold, losing longtime supplies and instructional materials left in classrooms over summer break. Willowridge High Principal Thomas Graham set up a list of high-demand items, asking the community for its help in replenishing an amalgam of items including copy paper, sticky notes, paper clips, folders, mouse pads, and hand soap. Many stepped up, including local businesses, to support Willowridge. Graham expressed his appreciation online.
Fort Bend ISD also created a Willowridge donation page, which is accessible through the mold remediation webpage. Additionally, a back-to-school supply drive on August 12 hopes to help teachers replace some classroom staples.
The U.S. Centers of Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) report that molds are very common in buildings and homes and will grow anywhere indoors where there is moisture. The most common indoors types of molds are Cladosporium, Aspergillus, Alternaria, and Penicillium. Less common is Stachybotrys chartarum, the variety better known as black mold.
The CDC says not all mold is toxic and exposure does not always present a health problem to people when indoors. However, more sensitive people may experience nasal stuffiness, wheezing, coughing, sneezing, eye irritation, and rashes. In the case of large scale mold infestations, one can see or smell a foul or musty odor. People may have more severe reactions when exposed to massive amounts of mold, which is more likely to occur in occupational settings. These symptoms may include fever and shortness of breath. Individuals with compromised immune systems or chronic lung diseases are at increased risk for pulmonary fungal infections.
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