Proviso District reports mold, water-line damage and multiple facilities repairs at East and West campuses

Proviso Township High School District 209 facilities staff told the board that a water-line failure at Proviso East and mold found at Proviso West required environmental remediation, temporary classroom adjustments and a program of follow-up maintenance and repairs.

The district’s facilities presenter, LT Taylor, said the roof on the main gymnasium building and the pool building at Proviso West has been replaced and that the substantial-completion documents were signed in August with a retained amount for punch-list work. "This project have minimal punch list items that we have held retainage. I believe the amount is by $84,000. We will make sure that work is done before we release those funds," Taylor said.

Taylor described a July incident at Proviso East in Room 208 on the third floor in which a water faucet was left on and the resulting leak ran from about 5:30 p.m. Thursday until roughly Sunday morning, sending water down three floors into lower classrooms. The district called its insurance adjuster and environmental contractor CEC, which installed dehumidification equipment. The affected classrooms were returned to use around Aug. 14 after remediation and air clearances, Taylor said.

"We put back on the cameras and it leaked from Thursday night about 05:30 to roughly Sunday morning," Taylor said. Board members asked whether the leak was a trickle; Taylor described the valve as "about halfway open." He said the district shut off science-lab water until teachers requested it be turned on and that maintenance and school teams are coordinating notification procedures.

At Proviso West, Taylor said maintenance crews discovered green mold in a small theater carpet and mild contamination in about 16 rooms. A remediation firm and a laundry vendor were called in. "They showed up about 30 minutes later. They mobilized the communication devices. They brought in attraction machines," Taylor said, describing removal of carpet and cleaning of surfaces. An environmental lab cited in the meeting, EGSL Environmental Limited, provided air clearances for the sampled spaces.

District staff said they notified the Proviso community by two emails and emphasized that they would not allow students or staff into buildings before clearances were secured. "We took this very seriously. We're gonna continue to monitor this," Taylor said.

Taylor listed additional projects and near-term plans: replacement of older ADA lifts at Proviso West and East (two lifts at Proviso West about 25–26 years old), an emergency repair at Door 2 at Proviso East to be treated as an emergency and completed on or before Oct. 15, procurement of additional x-ray machines to expedite morning entry, replacement of two failed sump pumps at Proviso West (parts delivered and installation planned in September) and repainting of interior competition lines. He also noted small sinkholes in the Proviso East turf field — "one is about big as a tablet here and maybe an inch and a half deep" — secured with a cone pending investigation by FieldTurf.

Taylor said the district had taken approximately 12,000 pieces of clothing to a parts cleaner in Broadview for cleaning and that the district is reviewing options to recover or pass costs to contractors where appropriate. He asked for continued attention to HVAC performance; the district observed some rooms are noticeably warmer or more humid and will investigate whether design or equipment issues are contributing to moisture and mold problems.

Board members asked logistical questions about timelines and student safety; staff said they will provide follow-up reports to the deputy superintendent and superintendent when specific jobs are completed.