ALAMANCE COUNTY, N.C. — Alamance-Burlington Schools has delayed the start of the school year for most of the school district, school officials announced Tuesday night.
It comes after they said it found mold growth in at least a dozen schools.
Some parents are understandably concerned about the safety of the schools —but also the ability to find a solution that won't have major impacts on families.
WFMY News 2's Nixon Norman got a reaction from a couple of them.
With mold being found in more schools, health is the top concern. Yet, with talk of moving students, parents are also concerned about transportation and switching schools.
Two former Cummings High School students, including a man who was part of the first graduating class, said they’re not surprised by the discovery.
"I was shocked to see that there's plaster, that's sort of falling out, bricks that are in disrepair. Internally within the principal building, the main building, there simply was then a need for repair," Former Cummings High School Student from the first graduating class Dr. Kenneth Freeman shared. Freeman's father also happened to be the first principal at Cummings High School.
"The mold issue has been going on," Parent of Cummings High School Student and former Cummings High School Student Vanessa Vasquez said. "From what I hear, they've just been painting over top of it for the last couple of years and that's not only from me, that's from parents that have kids who graduated from Cummings last year. I went to Cummings. I didn't graduate from there but I was there for three years and they had mold issues back when I was in there —back in 2003 2002?"
Vasquez said switching from school to school would be difficult on her little one and considering her older kids walk to school —switching schools also adds more time to her morning routine. This is something she said many of the working parents of ABSS students are worried about.
"Are you going to release your decision on Friday and put us in a bind where we have to find transportation? All three of my kids, elementary school, middle school, and high school, means I will be dropping them off at three different locations and I work in Chapel Hill. So that's gonna cut into my time at work. It might get me a write-up, it might get me fired —how do they know that? Then they're coming into my livelihood. My bills still have to be paid.," Vasquez continued.
One thing Vasquez continued to say throughout was that she wished ABSS had started with or just simply issued an apology to parents. Especially since many of the student-athletes have been in and out of the buildings throughout the summer.
The district and county leaders will meet with elected officials next Monday to determine the next steps.