Pembroke officials detail testing and cleanup after repeated mold, humidity concerns at Habemack Elementary

Pembroke School Committee members and administrators described a multi-year program of air-quality testing, targeted remediation and building-level fixes for Habemack Elementary after staff raised recurring musty odors and other concerns.

Superintendent Obi and district staff said tests by the district’s certified indoor-environmental consultant and by outside groups found elevated concentrations of common outdoor fungal spores in some Habemack classrooms in September 2023 and spots of mold on some indoor surfaces; the district responded with professional duct cleaning, HEPA filtration units, localized remediation work and replacement of problem fixtures and carpet.

District staff said the response followed recommendations from multiple experts and state reviewers. "Every single document that is on our website is linked to this presentation," a district presenter said during the March 4 meeting, adding that the district had not omitted test results. The presentation posted to the district website lists sampling and remediation back to 2016, testing in 2017 and 2020, and the sequence of September–November 2023 testing and remediation at Habemack.

Why it matters: Habemack is one of Pembroke’s older school buildings and includes a 4–5–6 wing served by rooftop air-handling units that are decades old. The district said older construction, long duct runs and summertime…