SAN DIEGO, Calif. (KGTV) — "Moisture-related-concerns" have forced a delay to the start of the school year for Del Sur Elementary School students.
According to a letter sent to families from the Poway Unified School District, the school year will be delayed until Tuesday or Wednesday, August 18 or 19. The specifics of the issues were not immediately clear.
"The delay is to allow third-party professional environmental contractors (Belfor Property Restoration) to remove and remediate the issues, and for an independent contracted industrial hygienist (Air America Testing) to certify that the issues have been resolved," the district said in the letter.
According to the district, the concerns were identified in early August. The district said the initial evaluation found that five classrooms were ready to be re-occupied, while nine classrooms needed additional remediation, and one classroom needed to be retested.
The district said between now and Saturday, teams will:
- Complete microbial cleaning of every classroom on campus, including remediation of classrooms identified issues in the most recent round of testing.
- Clean the ductwork serving the affected areas.
- Reevaluate affected spaces following remediation.
"Industrial hygienist re-testing will occur Saturday, August 15 with results expected back on Sunday, August 16 or Monday, August 17. Following positive testing results, staff will have an additional day (either Monday or Tuesday) to finish room set-up, and school will open for students the following day (either Tuesday, August 18 or Wednesday, August 19)," the letter continued.
The school said it is also taking the following steps:
- Assessment of all spaces will be conducted.
- Installation of air scrubbers in all classrooms using HEPA filtration and dehumidification to help clean the air and reduce moisture.
- Placement of additional large-scale dehumidification or portable cooling equipment in the shared open area connected to the classrooms to help reduce humidity and limit the spread of moisture into adjoining spaces.
- Installation of humidity-monitoring devices in every classroom so conditions can be monitored in real time and addressed promptly when needed.
- Evaluation of the broader campus conditions to better understand the underlying cause and identify any additional system-level corrective measures.
Read the full letter below:
Dear Del Sur Families,
I am writing to provide important information about a delay in the start to the school year for Del Sur Elementary School.
Poway Unified School District teams and third-party professional environmental contractors have been addressing moisture-related concerns identified in a number of classrooms.
Based on the results so far, the start of school at Del Sur Elementary will be delayed until Tuesday or Wednesday, August 18 or 19, 2026. This includes ESS and preschool programs. The previously scheduled TK and Kindergarten Meet and Greet will also be postponed. The delay is to allow third-party professional environmental contractors (Belfor Property Restoration) to remove and remediate the issues, and for an independent contracted industrial hygienist (Air America Testing) to certify that the issues have been resolved.
We know how much preparation has gone into getting ready for the first day of school, and we recognize how disappointing and disruptive this news is for our families and students. This is not a decision we made lightly. The decision was made in consultation with District leadership and informed by the findings and recommendations of independent third-party professionals.
Together, we agree that delaying the start of school is the most responsible course of action and will allow us the time needed to appropriately address the affected classrooms.
Moisture-related concerns were identified in a number of classrooms earlier this month. PUSD Maintenance & Operations staff responded, and professional remediation work began immediately by ATI Restoration. The classrooms were then evaluated by Air America Testing, an independent contracted industrial hygienist, so that we could better understand the conditions in each space.
The initial evaluation found that five classrooms were ready to be re-occupied, nine classrooms needed additional remediation, and one classroom needed to be retested.
While not all classrooms were impacted in the same way or to the same extent, we will be thorough in how we address the matter. Between now and Saturday, August 15, our teams will:
- Complete microbial cleaning of every classroom on campus, including remediation of classrooms identified issues in the most recent round of testing.
- Clean the ductwork serving the affected areas.
- Reevaluate affected spaces following remediation.
Industrial hygienist re-testing will occur Saturday, August 15 with results expected back on Sunday, August 16 or Monday, August 17. Following positive testing results, staff will have an additional day (either Monday or Tuesday) to finish room set-up, and school will open for students the following day (either Tuesday, August 18 or Wednesday, August 19).
Additionally, the following steps will occur:
- Assessment of all spaces will be conducted.
- Installation of air scrubbers in all classrooms using HEPA filtration and dehumidification to help clean the air and reduce moisture.
- Placement of additional large-scale dehumidification or portable cooling equipment in the shared open area connected to the classrooms to help reduce humidity and limit the spread of moisture into adjoining spaces.
- Installation of humidity-monitoring devices in every classroom so conditions can be monitored in real time and addressed promptly when needed.
- Evaluation of the broader campus conditions to better understand the underlying cause and identify any additional system-level corrective measures.
We know delaying the first day creates a very real hardship for families. At the same time, we do not want to rush this work. Our priority is to address the situation as quickly and responsibly as possible.
We will provide families with another update before Monday, including the latest information on remediation and preparations for the first day of school. We will also share additional information as testing and evaluation results become available.
If you have any questions, please contact me directly. Thank you for your patience and understanding as we work through this unexpected situation.
In partnership,
Jennie Ganesan, Principal
Eric Dill, Associate Superintendent, Business Support Services
