Penn Hills School District officials address reports of mold at elementary school; building deemed safe
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Penn Hills Elementary is expected to open on schedule for Monday’s first day of school after officials address what was determined to be undocumented reports of mold in the building.
“We have no indication that there’s any danger to anyone who visits that building,” Superintendent Nancy Hines said Thursday evening.
Environmental testing was done in the school along Jefferson Road at the start of summer when temperatures were on the rise.
Test results indicated the presence of surface-level mold.
Hines said the issue was discussed publicly at committee meetings, and the district followed the remediation plan recommended by the experts at Firewater Restoration, the company that did the testing.
Rumors recently began circulating of mold possibly resurfacing in the school as a result of humid weather this month, causing a potential danger to students and staff.
Various experts, including a microbiologist from Firewater, visited the school Thursday.
Hines said more than 20 dehumidifiers from Firewater were positioned throughout the school following their visit, and conditions will continue to be monitored. Staffers also did extensive cleaning.
Firewater will continue to take samples as a precaution and as part of ongoing monitoring and support efforts.
Hines said there were no recommendations to close the building or delay the start of the school year.
District officials also posted about the mold investigation and Firewater’s visit on the district’s website.
There are about 1,360 students enrolled at Penn Hills Elementary. There are about 3,200 students total.