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District reports mold remediation work at Bates and other schools; board asks for more proactive inspections
Summary
Operations staff described completed remediation at Bates (ceiling tiles replaced, antimicrobial paint, flooring replaced) and additional remediation work at several schools; trustees urged routine facility inspections and said air‑quality monitors have been installed districtwide.
Sumter School District operations staff provided a mold‑remediation update at the Jan. 27 work session, reporting completed work at Bates Middle School and ongoing remediation at several other campuses.
Facilities director Chris Cato described work at Bates’ seventh‑grade hall: ceiling tile replacement, antimicrobial paint, removal and replacement of flooring with a moisture barrier and final air testing that found no “unusual mold conditions.” ‘‘We added ionizers inside the HVAC units, and the levels have been steadily going down since October,’’ Cato said. Independent air sampling and lab testing were done after abatement and flooring replacement.
Cato also reported abatement and repairs at Chestnut Oaks (locker‑room ceiling leak and subsequent abatement), F.J. Lane (carpet replacement after positive traces), Rafton Creek (custodial bathroom wall leak and repair) and Ebenezer (locker‑room storage closet ventilation issues). He said Southeast Abatement and other contractors performed abatement where needed and that carpentry and painting work is scheduled.
Board members asked whether reports come from custodial or maintenance staff; Cato said the district acts on reports from custodial staff, school leaders and maintenance and that licensed testing firms (for example, local environmental tester Don Cobb and abatement contractors) perform verification sampling. One trustee urged a more proactive program of routine inspections across aging buildings; administration said air‑quality monitors have been installed in each school and that the district will continue to develop preventive checks.
Trustees asked operations to provide a clearer plan for scheduled inspections, remediation priorities and estimated timelines and costs for outstanding work.
