Del Sur Elementary’s first week of school delayed following mold concerns

The start of school at Del Sur Elementary has been postponed after testing again found elevated levels of mold spores in several classrooms, forcing families to scramble for childcare two days before scheduled classes. 

Poway Unified School District said the campus, about 30 miles north of downtown San Diego, will remain closed while contractors clean classrooms and address what the district has described as “moisture-related concerns.” Classes are expected to start Tuesday or Wednesday, depending on the results of follow-up testing. 

Some parents told inewsource the last-minute change forced them to take time off work or find childcare on short notice. Some are also worried about students losing instructional time. 

“This is not a decision we made lightly,” Principal Jennie Ganesan and Associate Superintendent Eric Dill told families in an email. “We know delaying the first day creates a very real hardship for families.” 

The notice comes after mold and moisture concerns were raised at the campus in 2022 and 2024. inewsource previously reported parents and teachers had complained about wet areas after rain, suspected mold in vents and classrooms, and a mildew smell on campus. 

Recent testing found that four classrooms showed elevated levels of indoor-originating mold spores, and another five showed moderately elevated levels. Five rooms had “acceptable” or low-probability levels of indoor-originating mold spores. 

Rooms with moderate test results will be recleaned and resampled, and those with elevated levels should be investigated for a source of mold growth, corrected, recleaned, and resampled, according to the district.

There is no federal numerical standard that establishes a “safe” level of airborne mold spores. Because of this, a determination is not based on one test result. 

An independent industrial hygienist considers the test results, the condition of the space and the completed work, and uses professional judgment to determine whether additional remediation is necessary.

Classrooms will not return to normal use until the district receives an evaluation from the hygienist confirming that the identified issues have been addressed.

Post-remediation testing is scheduled for Saturday, and the district expects to receive the results by Monday. The work remains on schedule as the district prepares for post-remediation this weekend, according to an update shared with families Thursday.

Contractors are conducting antimicrobial cleaning in all occupied indoor spaces and HVAC closets and completing termination work in some classrooms. The district also plans to clean ductwork and install air scrubbers with HEPA filtration, dehumidifiers and humidity-monitoring devices in every classroom.

The new thermostats will monitor humidity and alert the maintenance department when high moisture levels are detected. Staff will also consult with its architects, mechanical engineers and HVAC technicians to identify the cause of the higher moisture levels in the building and a long-term solution.

The district considered whether students and staff from affected classrooms could be relocated elsewhere on campus, but determined the school doesn’t have sufficient classroom space available. 

The closure also affects preschool and extended student services programs. A picnic scheduled for Friday to mark the start of classes is postponed. Officials are also considering whether to reschedule the Aug. 20 back-to-school night.

The latest problems have renewed concerns among some Del Sur staff and families about campus conditions. Parents have been sharing stories about their children’s health on social media since the district announced the test results.

“That’s just a pattern of negligence,” said a Del Sur Elementary mother, who did not want to be identified out of fear of retaliation against her son. 

She told inewsource that after starting school last year, her son developed nasal congestion and other allergy-like symptoms that lasted several months. She said she later went to Rady Children’s Hospital, where testing determined that he had no severe allergies to trees, pollen or other allergens. 

After that, she decided to get her son tested further. His urine results showed elevated levels of byproducts of mold, she said.

The use of such tests to determine mold exposure and illness is controversial. There’s no Food and Drug Administration-approved urine test for mycotoxins, and health authorities have cautioned that the results don’t establish that it’s causing illness or that it’s the source of exposure. 

The Del Sur mom stressed that it’s unclear whether ongoing mold issues at the school are causing her son’s symptoms, but said the situation warrants further investigation.

Mold is a fungus that naturally occurs in environments with moisture and oxygen. At schools, it can grow on many surfaces, including carpet, tile, walls, ceilings, insulation and around windows, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. 

To grow, mold needs water, which can enter buildings through structural openings, such as leaky roofs, pipes and windows. The EPA said humid conditions and a lack of air conditioning or heating can also contribute to mold growth.

Mold exposure can cause a range of symptoms, including asthma attacks, sneezing, runny nose, skin rashes, red eyes, dizziness and headaches. The symptoms can appear when an individual is exposed to mold and disappear after leaving that environment.

Over the summer, an extended student services program took place at Del Sur Elementary. No concerns were reported at the time and the moisture-related issues occurred after the program ended, according to the district.

Indoor air quality testing reports will be publicly available online. The district said families should monitor their email for more information.