SMCPS outlines mold remediation, testing and Aug. 20 return-to-school timeline for Evergreen and Hollywood elementaries

District facilities staff told the Saint Mary's County Board of Education on Aug. 13 that mold growth discovered this summer at Evergreen Elementary School and Hollywood Elementary School was caused by condensation on non‑insulated chilled‑water piping during a period of extreme heat and humidity, and outlined a remediation plan that the district says follows EPA guidance and industry best practices.

District presenters said the mold growth was most pronounced at Hollywood but also affected specific ceiling and wall areas at Evergreen. A certified remediation contractor has removed damaged materials, HEPA filtration units are deployed in impacted zones, HVAC components and filters are being cleaned or replaced, missing pipe insulation is being rewrapped and moisture‑resistant drywall is being used where replacement was required. A third‑party industrial hygienist conducted initial air and surface sampling, provided a scope of work, and will perform post‑remediation clearance testing before the district permits full occupancy.

District staff described the immediate cause as condensation forming on chilled‑water piping where insulation was incomplete or improperly wrapped. Those chilled‑water pipes run above ceiling tiles in portions of both buildings; when outdoor heat and humidity increased the cooling load, cold pipe surfaces “sweated,” creating conditions favorable to mold growth. Presenters said the district discovered gaps at joints, elbows and pipe penetrations during inspections and is correcting those installations.

The district gave specific timelines tied to the clearance testing. For Evergreen, teachers are to report to an alternate location Aug. 13–15 and return to the building before students; students are scheduled to return Aug. 20, contingent on a successful post‑remediation air quality report. For Hollywood, teachers will report to an alternate location Aug. 13–18, return to site Aug. 19, and students are scheduled to return Aug. 20, again conditioned on clearance test results. Presenters said if post‑remediation testing is not satisfactory, remediation will continue and the timeline will be adjusted.

An attendee asked whether staff were kept out of the buildings after mold was identified. District presenters said staff were excluded from areas the industrial hygienist deemed unsafe; some spaces, including a front office that runs on a separate DX HVAC system, remained occupied because they were served by a different mechanical system and were not affected. Board member Dorothy asked whether the state lab backlog slowed the response; presenters said sample processing delays initially extended the time to obtain species identification, citing a seven‑ to eight‑day wait earlier in the summer but adding that turnaround has improved to roughly 24–36 hours for the district's latest clearance samples.

Superintendent Dr. Smith praised the facilities and building service teams for the remediation work and said the district will build greater dehumidification capacity into future capital projects. "The only way to truly make sure that you're gonna prevent something like this happening in the in the future is to have ... dehumidification built explicitly into all of our systems," Dr. Smith said, noting that enhancing dehumidification will raise design and construction costs for future projects but reduce long‑term risk.

Board members and the presenters also discussed building service workers' day‑to‑day role in noticing humidity issues, checking rooms, taking humidity readings and placing work orders when they observe wet ceiling tiles or other anomalies. Presenters said that, during the extreme summer humidity, building service staff and maintenance increased building inspections districtwide and continue to monitor systems and mobile classrooms.

The remediation presentation was an informational item; no board action was taken. The district said it will share the industrial hygienist's post‑remediation clearance report and adjust occupancy plans as necessary.

Next steps: the industrial hygienist will perform post‑remediation air quality testing this week; the district will not clear full occupancy until the hygienist's results meet the clearance criteria described in the report.