Parents say mold and lead tests at John Kelly Elementary raise safety and transparency questions; district and SERVPRO describe staged remediation

Parent speakers told the Coachella Valley Unified School District board that they remain worried about possible student exposure to mold and lead at John Kelly Elementary and asked for documents showing what was removed and how safety protocols were followed.

"How can we be certain our children were not exposed during the year they occupied those classrooms?" a parent asked during public comment, saying district reports listed stachybotrys — commonly called black mold — and that lead testing results appeared to be released after contractors had been working in affected wings. The commenter also said the district planned to ratify $650,000 in "emergency work" and alleged the award bypassed competitive bidding and went to a company linked to a relative of a sitting board member, calling for immediate release of the EPA asbestos management plan and SERVPRO remediation logs.

District witnesses and contractors pushed back on some of the implications and described the staged steps staff followed. A district facilities presenter explained that asbestos and lead testing must precede demolition; only after those clearances can walls be opened and reconstructed, and the reports are therefore produced in sections. "As we got the results, of surface swab samples, air quality samples, that's when we began to demo them," the presenter said. SERVPRO regional manager Jose Torres said crews worked around the clock and completed remediation and rebuilds in sequence so classrooms could be cleared and returned to use. "All clearances were done as classrooms were remediated," he said.

Parents who spoke at the meeting supplied a timeline of events for John Kelly: maintenance staff reported possible microbial growth Nov. 18; testing was requested Nov. 24 and air swab samples were received Dec. 1; remediation recommendations were issued Dec. 4; demolition began Dec. 8; whole-school testing was completed Dec. 22 with results received Dec. 28; demolition and reconstruction occurred through the winter break; most classroom remediation and reconstruction were complete by Jan. 5, with remaining restroom work scheduled to finish Jan. 17.

Board members and the superintendent reiterated that district policy requires regular facility inspections and management of asbestos and lead. President Torres cited district environmental safety policy 35 14 and regulation 35 17 and reminded the public of California Education Code procedures for reporting facility conditions. Trustees said they would continue site visits and monitoring.

The parents’ requests for additional records — including the EPA asbestos management plan and the SERVPRO logs detailing specific work performed, locations, and safety controls — remained outstanding in the meeting record. District staff said they are posting information to families and will continue to communicate remediation status, but parents said they want the full documentation and faster, clearer notice when hazards are identified.

Next steps noted at the meeting: the district will continue sharing updates with families, finish outstanding reconstruction tasks (the south restroom was scheduled to be completed Jan. 17), and the board signaled it will monitor facilities visits and compliance with inspection policies.

Ending: The board heard these public comments during the open-comment portion of its meeting; no formal board action regarding the John Kelly remediation contract was recorded in the transcript excerpt beyond discussion and staff explanations.