District identifies small mold spots at Donovan; plans professional remediation and air testing

District administrators informed the board that an environmental inspection at Donovan School identified small white spots on bookshelves that inspectors characterized as possible mold. The district said the spots can be wiped off by hand but, out of an abundance of caution, it will contract professional remediation and perform air sampling before and after cleaning.

An administrator explained the inspection was conducted by a firm hired through the district's insurance broker to support a potential reinstatement of coverage with the insurer Beasley after last year’s mold situation led to a cancellation. The district said the first on‑site inspection used high‑intensity LED lighting to find isolated spots in the media center and that a final lab analysis of air samples will confirm activity levels.

"We are choosing to be very proactive and have that cleaned by professionals, and again add a bit of abundance of caution and to ease the minds of our staff and families," an administrator said.

The finance committee report expanded on the environmental work and said TCI Environmental will take core samples of materials to be demolished as part of upcoming referendum projects; the district also plans daily public updates during construction summarizing completed tasks and safety steps.

What happens next: the district said it will complete pre‑ and post‑remediation air sampling, await laboratory results, and provide ongoing public communications about construction and environmental safeguards. The board also discussed involving environmental consultants on the referendum safety committee.