Parent alleges mold and asbestos exposure at John Kelly Elementary; district says abatement and testing underway

A parent attending the Dec. 11 Coachella Valley Unified School District governing board meeting accused the district of exposing students to mold and possibly asbestos at John Kelly Elementary and demanded immediate action.

"Our children were exposed to mold, and they're apparently being exposed to asbestos as well," Lourda Perez said during the public comment period, alleging custodial requests were ignored, staff and families were made to sign confidentiality agreements, and portables used by students with autism flood and remain in poor condition.

District staff responded during the meeting. Amelia Nino, the district's director of risk management, told the board the district created a confidentiality acknowledgment for on‑site review of a technical containment assessment so that the report — which contains detailed laboratory data and site‑specific sampling results — can be handled responsibly and not misinterpreted. "This is not a non‑disclosure agreement," Nino said. She added that anyone may request the report under the California Public Records Act but that, to avoid misinterpretation, the document is reviewed on site under supervision and without copies or photos.

Superintendent Dr. Francis Esparza said remediation work is ongoing at John Kelly and described the standard sequence of steps: initial assessment, testing, abatement, and post‑abatement verification. He said asbestos testing is scheduled as part of the district's three‑year cycle and that a final remediation report will be published on the district and school websites and made available at the school office when complete.

Board members pressed for clarity about timing and procedures. One trustee noted that the district follows protocol to remove children from an affected area during testing and abatement and urged the community to address any water‑quality questions to the Coachella Valley Water District, the local water authority. The superintendent reiterated the district's intent to be transparent once technical testing and remediation steps are completed.

The meeting record shows the district took the concerns seriously and that remediation and additional testing were in progress at the time of the meeting; the final report and test results were described as forthcoming and subject to public‑records requests.