ALAMANCE COUNTY, N.C. — Schools in Alamance County will now start Tuesday, September 5 after mold was found in over a dozen of schools, the district says. Leaders say they need the extra time to figure out how to clean up mold in several school buildings.
After finding mold in two buildings, the district tested all of their buildings. They found at least 12 buildings with mold problems. Only two have had clean-up work started.
Andrews Elementary School is good to go and work at Newlin Elementary School is almost done.
"We're waiting on an environmental inspection. With some, you can walk into a room and see mold on a service but what we need is inspectors to look to determine what needs to be done to remediate it and look at air quality to see if we can have students and staff in those buildings," ABSS spokesperson, Les Atkins said.
The district and county leaders will meet with elected officials next Monday, August 28, to determine the next steps for other campuses. Parents in the district have questions about what it means for their children.
Here are the answers to the top questions parents are asking:
Will the school calendar be adjusted to account for the 5 missed days?
Answer: The ABSS Board of Education will have to make that decision in the coming days.
Does this mean no open house Thursday?
Answer: Your school will be reaching out regarding this.
Does this mean we'll be going remote if the buildings aren't cleaned up?
Answer: That is something the district will have to look at with the Department of Public Instruction to get approval for if that is something they could potentially do.
Who's going to watch the kids? All summer camps are done.
Answer: The Burlington Recreation and Parks said they are working to provide childcare options for anyone who needs it. They expect to have more information on what they will look like later Wednesday.
Were air conditioning units running in the schools over the summer?
An ABSS spokesperson told us that some schools were on night setbacks. Meaning, the air conditioning only kicks on when the rooms hit 77 degrees. ABSS said starting in July, the air conditioning runs around the clock.
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