District officials in Winslow announced Tuesday that School #2 will be closed for the rest of the week after mold spores were detected in air samples taken from the building.
Superintendent Dr. H. Major Poteat said that work was to begin at the school Tuesday evening “to remove stationary cabinetry and any other items that may promote the growth of mold spores.”
“The building will be thoroughly cleaned and disinfected and follow-up air quality testing will be conducted,” Poteat said.
Principal Robert Ricciardi reported to the district that an unusual odor was detected in the building. An environmentalist was dispatched to School #2, who would later determine mold spores were present.
A specific cause of the mold was not disclosed, but administrators did say that school facilities have been closely monitored in the wake of heavy rains to hit the area. A follow-up air test is scheduled for Friday, with classes expected to resume Monday.
“While unfortunate, we must place the safety of our students and staff first in all instances,” Poteat said of the closure. “This is not an area where we are willing to take the chance of a cursory cleaning of the building that might allow classes to continue.”
In Burlington County, students who would normally attend Willingboro High School have been relocated to attend classes at the district’s Levitt School. They’ll receive their schooling there for an indefinite amount of time as mold remediation continues at the high school.
Willingboro officials held a community meeting Saturday which outlined a three-pronged approach to deal with the situation that includes air testing of every room in the high school and the sealing off and clean up of rooms deemed unsafe.
Mold was found in multiple areas of the school on John F. Kennedy Way. Limited contamination was discovered in two other district schools. Students have missed five school days, which will be made up on days set aside for teachers to engage in professional development.
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