Penn Hills Elementary School is set to open on Monday’s first day of school after officials responded to what were determined to be undocumented reports of mold in the building.
“We have no indication that there is any danger to anyone visiting this building,” Superintendent Nancy Hines said Thursday night.
Environmental testing was carried out at the school along Jefferson Road in early summer when temperatures were on the rise.
The test results indicated the presence of mold at the surface level.
Hines said the issue was discussed publicly at committee meetings and the district followed the remediation plan recommended by experts from Firewater Restoration, the company that carried out the tests.
Rumors have recently started circulating that mold may be resurfacing in the school due to wet weather this month, which could pose a hazard to students and staff.
Various experts, including a Firewater microbiologist, visited the school on Thursday.
Hines said more than 20 Firewater dehumidifiers were positioned throughout the school after their visit and conditions will continue to be monitored. Staff members also carried out a thorough cleaning.
Firewater will continue to collect samples as a precaution and as part of ongoing monitoring and support efforts.
Hines said there was no recommendation to close the building or delay the start of the school year.
District officials also posted information about the mold investigation and Firewater’s visit to the district’s website.
There are approximately 1,360 students enrolled at Penn Hills Elementary. There are approximately 3,200 students in total.
Michael DiVittorio is a staff writer for Tribune-Review. You can contact Michael at 412-871-2367, mdivittorio@triblive.com or via Twitter .
