Residents urge mold testing at elementary school; community group submits superintendent search input

Two Oconee County residents used the public-comment period at the June 9 Board of Education meeting to raise concerns about building conditions and to present community input for the upcoming superintendent search.

“All we want is acknowledgement of our concern,” said Sarah Danis, an Oconee County resident and parent, who urged the district to commission a professional mold and mildew inspection at an elementary school she identified in her remarks. Danis said she has observed water appearing through the gym floor and that parents and teachers have signed a petition of concern that she said contains more than 250 stakeholder signatures. She said staff have raised the issue with parents and that an earlier response from district operations described the matter as resolved; she asked the board to reassess that determination.

Board member Miss Parrish spoke from the dais in follow-up and said she personally supported specific mold testing: “I personally, as an individual, do think we need to have specific mold testing at the elementary school so we can determine if there are elevated levels of mold,” she said, adding that testing should identify whether levels are elevated and what species, if any, are present.

A second speaker, Terry Thompson of a newly formed volunteer group called Community Works, summarized a community meeting his group convened to collect input for the superintendent search. Thompson said 23 people attended and that the group’s report highlighted four recurring concerns: the need for clear, transparent communications between the board and the public; attention to the mold issue raised by other speakers; alleged bullying and intimidation issues affecting staff and students; and concern for the education of students who are not college-bound or who may be socially promoted. Thompson said the group had submitted its report to the board and offered copies to interested members.

Why it matters: public-health concerns in school buildings and community input on superintendent selection can influence district priorities and personnel decisions. The board did not announce immediate next steps in the public record beyond acknowledging the comments; the public-comment policy read at the start of the meeting notes that staff or board members generally will take comments under advisement and that board members may respond at their discretion.

Ending: The board took the comments under advisement; the transcript records board members thanking the speakers and committing to continued attention to safety and the search process.