District staff told the Property Facilities Committee on Sept. 3 that remediation work at Lehman and North high schools addressed microbial growth found above ceiling tiles in classrooms and that subsequent air-quality testing showed no remaining growth. The work included removing and replacing ceiling tiles and insulation, cleaning and fogging classrooms, and retesting air quality before reopening the rooms to staff and students.

The superintendent reported the initial concern was raised Aug. 1 and that the district moved quickly because teachers were returning in under two weeks. “Rob did an amazing job managing and getting an environmental company in to manage this entire project,” the superintendent said. Committee members were told the remediation covered about 40 classrooms and that the visible source was condensation on chilled-water pipes where insulation had loosened.

The district said crews removed ceiling tiles, cleaned above the cavity, fogged and deep-cleaned furniture and finishes, and replaced insulation and ceiling tiles where needed. Officials said air-quality testing was conducted with ceiling cavities open and that those tests returned “no growth” results before rooms were reoccupied.

Committee members asked how the condensation problem was being prevented going forward. Facilities staff said crews have replaced and tightened pipe insulation where it had come off, and the district is working with Trane on operational changes and on possible industrial dehumidification units as a short-term stopgap. Staff also said they are adjusting outside-air dampers and other control settings to lessen humidity loads in extreme conditions.

On cost and insurance, staff read an invoiced total during the meeting but the transcript was unclear on the exact figure; committee members were told the district is filing insurance claims and that the deductible could be “nearly $100,000 or $20,000 depending on the source and the type of microbial growth.” Staff said they expect the claim to be covered but that the district’s out-of-pocket obligation will depend on how the insurer classifies the claim.

No formal action or vote was taken on the remediation item at the Sept. 3 meeting; the discussion was presented as part of the superintendent’s report and project updates. Committee members asked staff to continue reporting on follow-up steps, including any further recommendations from Trane and the environmental contractors.

The committee’s discussion also confirmed that a separate remediation years earlier (behind lockers) had been caused by a different process and has not recurred, and that the district changed that cleaning process at the time.

District staff said they will continue to monitor the affected buildings and pursue both short-term dehumidification and longer-term HVAC changes if warranted.