Mold remediation taking place in South Valley Elementary School was met with some criticism from staff from both the school and other schools within the district at the Moorestown Township Public Schools board of education meeting held on Nov. 19.
During the public comment portion of the meeting five South Valley staff members approached the microphone, reading a joint statement that outlined the negative impact of current mold remediation efforts provided by the Somerdale-based company allRisk at the school.
Taking turns reading the statement, the five staff members relayed to the board that on Oct. 21 the teachers of South Valley were notified that mold had been found in the building. After several meetings with the staff to discuss classroom inventory and the process, mold remediation began on Nov. 6.
During the time of remediation, staff and students of classrooms involved in the remediation process, were then relocated, according to the staff members. In addition, to relocating, teachers also had to revise lesson plans in order to accommodate the new surroundings.
For instance, the staff members explained that two teachers had to “double-up” and teach their two combined classes, approximately 48 students in total, in the elementary school’s gym.
The staff also said that another second-grade teacher had to move their class to the music room with rolling tables.
Second-grade South Valley teacher Christine Schultz also criticized the mold remediation process, as she explained to the board how entire classrooms were stripped and that specific teaching materials were discarded after staff were ensured they would not be.
“Classroom walls were bare, materials are missing,” Schultz said. “ It did not feel like stepping into a classroom.”
South Valley parent Lisa Petriello also addressed the board during public comment, with concerns that the parents of South Valley were not adequately informed about the timeline of the mold remediation process.
Acting superintendent Lynn Shugars responded to Petriello, saying that a remediation plan would be contingent on the findings during phases of the mold remediation.
However, Petriello continued to express her disapproval to the board for spending a couple hundred thousand dollars on mold remediation with no set plan.
“You don’t just open the doors and hand them the keys to walk around,” Petriello said.
Petriello also added that parents of South Valley were lead to believe that remediation would be finished by December, but inquired about the possibilities of the process going longer.
Shugars said that there is a possibility of cabinets in the classroom being removed during the summer, but they must first be tested to see if they contain mold.
“The full removal of cabinetry has not been finalized yet, “ she said.
Board president Don Mishler also said that there has been talk of replacing furniture in the school with furniture that is resistant to mold, since the school was built on a swamp, making it prone to mold.
“There’s old furniture and it’s not manufactured in a way that inhibits mold,” Mishler said.
Mishler also added that the heavy rains this summer, contributed to the mold within the school.
In addition, a similar situation was found inside Mary E. Roberts School over the summer and properly remediated.
“It’s a lot easier to do when school is out,” Mishler said in regards to Roberts School before going into closed session.
However, first-grade Roberts School teacher Bridget Potts addressed the board, as well, asking why they had not tested all schools after mold was found at Roberts School.
“Why we did not test the air at South Valley, that is built on a swamp?” Potts said. “I don’t know.”
Potts also added that during the remediation at Roberts School, teachers were called in by the principal and physically shown what items in their classroom would be discarded, so that staff members could take inventory, and asked why the procedure was not the same at South Valley.
“These are our homes,” Potts said referring to the staff’s classrooms. “People were crying last week over this stuff.”
Also speaking on the issue was high school teacher and Moorestown Education Association president Lisa Trapani, who asked for accountability from the board.
“Someone has to be held accountable for this,” Trapani said. “Who is minding the store?”
In addition, Trapani also cited a sample of service requests regarding mold through out the years and also questioned why classroom materials such as yardsticks and cardboard-based learning materials were saved, when laminated posters and bagged items and toys that were specifically labeled “please save” were thrown away.
Prior to entering closed session, Mishler declined to comment on the accounts made during public comment because the subject was a matter of personnel issues.
However, Mishler did add that during Thanksgiving and Christmas breaks, allRisk would continue to test and continue remediation efforts in South Valley.
“Every phase you got to decide what to do next,” Mishler said.
