Manassas Park Middle School: testing found common molds; remediation underway, invoices top $125,000

Manassas Park City Schools told the board it has tested, remediated and retested areas of Manassas Park Middle School after staff reported suspected mold in classrooms; the district said remediation work is complete for occupied spaces and that it is identifying root causes and repair contracts.

Why it matters: Indoor mold can disrupt schools, trigger building closures, and impose significant repair and remediation costs; the district said it is working with public-health agencies and contractors to return spaces to normal use.

District facilities staff said initial testing by vendor Apex began August 18 after a teacher reported concerns; additional testing followed on August 23 as staff realized the issue could affect more than six classrooms. A project team including district staff, Apex, First On-site, the Virginia Department of Health and the Prince William County Department of Health was assembled to test suspected areas, identify mold genera, develop and implement a remediation plan and retest rooms.

The district reported that test results identified cladosporium, penicillium and aspergillus. Remediation measures described to the board included air scrubbing, surface cleaning of vents, replacement of ceiling tiles, and “zipping” classrooms shut during remediation, then retesting. The board was told that “all classrooms, teacher pods, heavy traffic areas…were all tested and cleared for usage by students and staff.”

Facilities staff acknowledged follow-up work to identify and fix root causes, including roof repairs. Roofers identified nine leak locations that may have contributed to mold growth and district staff said those areas have been addressed. The district arranged for KW Smith Mechanical to inspect outdoor air units on the roof and initiated discussions with its cleaning contractor ABM to increase frequency of high-reach cleaning; facilities staff said the ABM contract listed high-reach cleaning as quarterly but needs to be more frequent.

District staff said remediation and retesting work required extended contractor hours and weekend work. In describing facilities staff efforts, one presenter praised the facilities lead: “he was there the entire day, stayed until 3AM, went home, got a shower and a cup of coffee, and I met him back at the school at 5AM the next day,” the presenter said, describing long hours by facilities personnel and contractors.

Billing invoices for Apex and First On-site have been submitted to the district’s appraiser for insurance consideration; the presenter said final figures are “north of a $125,000.” The district described phase 3 as identifying the root cause, estimating repair costs, procuring contractors to repair and inspecting repairs to confirm the issue is resolved. Board members asked whether other buildings would be inspected; staff said they would assess findings at the middle school and apply lessons across the district.

No formal vote was taken. Staff said contaminated areas have been cleared for use, remediation invoices are under insurance review, root-cause work continues and the district will return with repair plans and cost estimates.