Superintendent orders expedited testing after mildew found in elementary classrooms

The Beecher CUSD 200U superintendent reported the district found mildew in several first- and second-grade classrooms and has taken multiple remediation steps while awaiting expedited environmental test results.

"So last week, we found mildew in some of the classrooms in the 1st and 2nd grade hold," the superintendent told the board, describing immediate cleaning with bleach water, the deployment of dehumidifiers and air purifiers, and repeated inspections. He said custodial staff tore items off shelves and cleaned thoroughly, using multiple dehumidifiers and purifiers in affected rooms.

The superintendent said the district engaged an environmental abatement company (Ideal) to test the spaces and expedited the results, noting, "I need to have some kind of assurance on, at least on my conscious that I'm not doing anything to harm kids, most importantly, and staff." Board members asked whether tests covered only the hallway or all rooms; the superintendent said all rooms were checked and that the only evidence had been in the hallway area. He added the district planned to post results to the website and share them with the community once received.

District staff explained the HVAC behavior that may have contributed — the installed classroom units bring in air but do not dehumidify, causing stagnant, humid air when doors are closed after waxing. The superintendent said additional routine practices (leaving doors open during waxing, added filters and a more frequent filter cycle) have been implemented to reduce recurrence.

The board did not take formal action beyond accepting the report; the superintendent said the district would continue nightly cleaning, keep dehumidifiers in place and follow up with the expedited lab results when available.