Elgin school closure due to mold continues through Monday

An Elgin elementary school will be closed through Monday after mold was found in classrooms and common areas, officials said.

Elgin Area School District U-46 officials announced Wednesday night they would close Coleman Elementary School on Thursday. Later Thursday, they said the closure would last through Monday. Parents and staff members will get an update Monday, Principal Brian Stark said in a statement.

"Our plant operations team needs this time to thoroughly remediate the mold and reduce the moisture levels in the building, then work with an environmental company to test the air quality and send testing samples to a lab for analysis," Stark said. "This process takes time and it is easier to clean, inspect and test a building when it is unoccupied."

All after-school activities, meetings and the before- and after-school care SAFE program also are canceled through Monday at the school, which has an enrollment of 720 students, officials said.

The building was tested and cleaned in early August as part of a routine inspection, officials said on the school's website.

On Tuesday night Stark "contacted plant operations with a report of the potential of mold. Plant operations confirmed the presence of mold on Wednesday. One classroom was closed and relocated to a computer lab during the school day. Further inspection after school on Wednesday confirmed the presence of mold in other classrooms and common areas, like hallways, in the older portion of the building."

The decision to close the building was made as a precaution, officials said.

Stark said he understands "that the unexpected cancellation of classes can pose a challenge for many of our Coleman families."

"I am disappointed Coleman students will miss out on instructional time. But the health and safety of our students and staff is our highest priority, and while the risk of harm is low, we want to give our plant operations team the time to thoroughly take care of the issue."

District CEO Tony Sanders also had posted on Facebook asking for patience while the issue is resolved.

Coleman was built in 1954 and additions were built over the years, most recently in 2016.

Schools "are visually inspected for mold periodically and through routine inspections of plant operations staff," officials said.