Mount Prospect District 57 completing mold remediation at two schools

As Mount Prospect Elementary School District 57 gets ready to welcome back students and staff next week, officials also are working to make sure they aren’t greeted by mold on their return.

Mold was discovered on the lower level at Westbrook School for Young Learners and in the 300 wing at Lincoln Middle School during summer construction.

School board President Corrin Bennett-Kill and environmental consultant Rob Rottersman of Ramboll Health Sciences updated the school board Thursday on remediation efforts.

“When these issues were discovered, our district leadership team acted immediately,” she said.

Precautionary inspections also were conducted at the district’s two other schools — Fairview Elementary and Lions Park Elementary — and revealed no issues, Bennett-Kill added.

Over the past several weeks, District 57 has worked with a team of experts to remove the mold and address the root cause, failed insulation on chilled water lines, that led to moisture buildup and condensation.

Bennett-Kill said all remediation and removal of old pipe insulation is complete and new insulation has been installed at Westbrook. Accessible duct work was inspected without uncovering mold growth and building cooling has been restored, she said.

New commercial grade dehumidifiers are being placed in all lower level classrooms and offices, she added.

Following deep cleaning, environmental specialists will conduct post-remediation air quality testing at the school, officials said.

Bennett-Kill said work is wrapping up at Lincoln, including the application of an antimicrobial coating on surfaces.

The district took a different approach at Lincoln, since it is replacing the school with a new building scheduled for completion next year. Demolition of the existing building will follow.

“The purpose of that is to get us through the next couple of months without the mold growth recurring,” Rottersman said. “It’s also to lock down anything that might still be there.”

Commercial dehumidifiers will get Lincoln through at least the next couple of months, he added.

“This is a condition that’s going to occur during the summer when you have warm, humid air,” Rottersman said. “Once we transition into the fall season, the risk is no longer there.”