The Alamance-Burlington School System today announced that the County Commissioners have allowed the reallocation of $3.9 million in funding to support ongoing mold remediation efforts in ABSS schools.
The funding, originally allocated for a roof project at Southern Alamance High School, will now be repurposed to continue intensive mold remediation work across the District. With the Commissioner's support, unspent bond funds will be repurposed to cover the original roof project at Southern High.
ABSS currently has mold remediation crews working in nearly 30 schools, 16 of which have been identified with toxigenic mold as the result of air sampling and surface testing. Over 2,000 contractors are working tirelessly to clean ductwork, replace ceiling tiles, and eliminate mold.
"When severe mold was first discovered, ABSS immediately shifted into crisis response mode," said Greg Hook, ABSS Chief Operations Officer. "Over the past 45 days, we have been assessing, hiring contractors, and developing short and long-term solutions to this crisis."
The District plans to post air quality results once all buildings are remediated for the purpose of public view.
ABSS Superintendent Dr. Dain Butler emphasized the need for preventative maintenance and additional funding going forward to keep this from happening again that include roof repairs, water intrusion, HVAC balance testing, and dehumidification.
“I’m staying solution driven and focused on opening our schools on Monday, September 11th. We can have a conversation another day of how we can have preventative maintenance,” Butler said. “When we come up with a prevention plan, we’re going to have to look at contracts going forward and the funding from you to go along with it.”