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 humidity can contribute to conditions that allow elevated settled spores or localized mold on surfaces, and that periodic professional cleaning and equipment replacement are appropriate mitigation steps.

What the district found and did - September 19, 2023 testing by the district’s consultant showed elevated levels of aspergillus, penicillium and cladosporium in Room 225; follow-up sampling on Sept. 25 led to a remediation plan concentrated on Air Handler 2 and associated ductwork serving the 4–5–6 wing. - The district purchased HEPA air-scrubbing units for affected classrooms, professionally cleaned supply ductwork for the wing (work completed Oct. 2023), added dehumidifiers and removed carpeting and built-in carpeted benches where inspectors found suspect material; one tape sample found stachybotrys (a surface finding) beneath a bench, and the district removed similar benches over the summer. - The Pembroke Teachers Association contracted its own tester; those results and the district’s consultant reports were shared with the joint labor–management group and posted on the district website.

District costs and next steps - The district reported roughly $166,000 spent to date (testing, HVAC/dust cleaning, remediation contractors, carpet/floor replacement and supplies). Quarterly monitoring runs about $2,200 per round; the district has committed to ongoing quarterly sampling at Habemack under the side letter with the teachers’ association. - The district has begun planning for a full HVAC replacement at Habemack; vendor estimates presented to the committee ranged from about $1.3 million to $1.6 million. Officials said that work would require summer-only construction (cranes, rooftop unit replacement) and would be the subject of a capital warrant article and vendor bidding.

Officials’ comments and community process - Erin (district staff member) summarized the testing history and said the district had implemented recommendations from the Department of Public Health, the district consultant and union-hired specialists. The presenter described routine custodial changes (HEPA vacuums, cleaning schedules) and larger contractor work where appropriate. - The committee emphasized the joint labor–management process. The district and the Pembroke Teachers Association agreed to a side-letter protocol to define how testing, reporting and communications happen and to create a flowchart staff can follow when they identify concerns. The district said some union-provided test results were delayed in dissemination and the protocol should reduce those gaps.

Remaining concerns and transparency commitments - The district acknowledged there have been periodic surface findings (stained ceiling tiles, isolated surface mold on blinds or benches) and replaced or remediated identified materials; officials said there has not been evidence of airborne levels that required relocation of students or staff after remediation efforts. - Superintendent Obi and staff said they would publish test results and reports on the district website as soon as the joint group has reviewed them, and agreed to quarterly email updates in addition to posting documents online.

Looking ahead: funding and equity questions - Staff noted the HVAC estimate includes adding air conditioning to parts of Habemack not currently air conditioned; they also flagged an equity question because other elementary schools in the district do not have air conditioning. The superintendent said an HVAC project would likely be funded as a capital article and described prior requests for HVAC funding at town meetings.

The committee pressed for clearer, faster sharing of reports to reduce confusion on social media and to improve parent and staff confidence. The district said all consultant reports since 2016 are available on its website and reiterated that remediation recommendations from each professional had been implemented.

Ending note: the school committee and administration said they will continue quarterly monitoring at Habemack and that the joint labor–management committee will meet to review recent results before broader dissemination to parents and the public.