Committee approves remediation contracts for Spencer Borden and Green schools; district reports insurance deductible not met

The Far West School Committee approved ServiceMaster contracts to remediate smoke and mold damage at several district buildings during the Jan. 13 meeting.

Chief Operating Officer Ken Pacheco described the work done after a fire at Spencer Borden and separate mold issues: at Spencer Borden the contractor cleaned smoke‑affected areas (ceilings, walls and fixtures), cleaned ductwork, laundered the stage curtain and cleaned and bagged athletic storage equipment; the fire itself was contained to the boiler room. For mold remediation at Green School, Pacheco said the work was more extensive and included dehumidification, removal of damaged walls, replacement of rugs, painting, ceiling‑tile replacement, cabinet removal and pipe‑wrap replacement. On questions, the COO said remediation equipment had been left operational on site for extended periods (approximately 70 days in one case) to complete drying and remediation.

The nut graf: the district said insurance did not reimburse the Spencer Borden remediation because the contract value did not exceed the district’s insurance deductible (the COO said the deductible threshold was $100,000), leaving the district to cover the expense. Committee members asked for consolidated reporting on total costs and on any recurring building‑system issues (e.g., water‑heater failures) that might have contributed.

Ending: The committee approved the remediation contracts and asked the administration to provide a total cost estimate for all mold‑remediation work and to supply any facility maintenance history that might explain recurring failures.