Whenever a mold clean-up occurs, it is important to ask if the mold is being properly contained in some way to avoid increasing airborne mold spores and fragments which can lead to even more illness to the occupants in a building.  It is also important to follow the highest industry guidelines in conducting a Remediation. All stakeholders should make certain that this cleanup is being done in a safe and effective manner, before this building is reoccupied. (SMH)  

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Mold cleanup expected to be complete by late June

During the past month, Castle Hayne resident Kathy Dombroski has watched workers toting duct work from Wrightsboro Elementary School from her church next door, Wrightsboro Baptist Church.

And the volunteer tutor at Wrightsboro likes what she’s seen.

“I’m so proud of our school board and the administration for taking the bold action to get this remediated,” she said.

The school closed March 18 after the kindergarten classes had already been moved to Castle Hayne Elementary when mold was found in their buildings in late February. The remainder of the school then moved to Holly Shelter Middle School to finish the school year.

Seeing the progress meant a lot to Dombroski, who was one of several concerned community members who have written letters to New Hanover County school officials complaining about the mold worries at the school. In Dombroski’s January email to school board member Janice Cavenaugh, she described the smell in one of the school’s rooms as “like an old mildewed mop.”

Since March, maintenance crews have been preparing the building for removal of mold spores found above the ceilings in many of the buildings. Morrisville company Environmental Holding Group has been awarded the cleanup contract, and work should be completed by late June, said Bill Hance, assistant superintendent for planning, technology and operations. Wilmington company Phoenix EnviroCorp is supervising the work and will follow-up with tests to make sure the mold is gone, he said. 

Workers have been “installing new ceiling tiles and trying to make it look as good and healthy as possible,” said Chris Peterson, director of maintenance operations. “We’re changing out all the school’s carpet to tile floors because it was old anyway, and that’s something we’ve been trying to do for several years there.”

So as the students at Wrightsboro get ready for their end of grade tests with EOG Spirit Week, the district thinks teachers could begin a move back to their original classrooms as early as late June, Hance said. The move to Holly Shelter cost the school district $33,900, and the move back will cost about $30,000.

Amanda Greene: 343-2365

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