SAN DIEGO (KGTV) — After months of uncertainty surrounding mold concerns at Del Sur Elementary School, Poway Unified School District officials outlined an extensive remediation plan and shared what was found.
During the latest school board meeting, district officials presented the findings of their mold investigation and detailed the work needed before students can safely return. Hundreds of students will remain off campus for the rest of the current school year as renovations move forward.
The presentation included approximately 40 slides outlining the investigation, testing results and potential solutions. Officials identified the mold found at the school as Cladosporium, which they said is not considered highly toxic. They also clarified that the mold was not the commonly referred to “black mold.”
District officials reviewed several possible approaches, ranging from smaller repairs and reopening the school sooner to closing the school. For four top option, they wrote out and presented the pros and cons of each. Ultimately, they selected a more extensive remediation plan that includes removing all existing flooring, fabric curtains and other materials of concern throughout the campus.
The plan also calls for installing an entirely new HVAC system.
“We had to find a way to guarantee that this is not going to happen again,” one district representative said during the presentation.
For parents, the meeting offered an opportunity to hear directly from school officials about the investigation and the next steps.
Steven Eisenberg, a parent of two Del Sur students, said he appreciated the district's thorough approach and wanted to hear the information firsthand.
“What I heard tonight was that there it's been a very thorough process that the school district is going through, which I appreciate,” Eisenberg said.
While he acknowledged the frustration surrounding the school's delayed reopening, he said he believes the decision was ultimately made with student safety in mind.
“It was frustrating that we had that school postponed, but I think the right decision was made ultimately for the safety of the kids,” he said.
District administrators are targeting July 9, 2027 for the completion of the work, with students expected to return in August for the start of the new school year.
School officials say the estimated cost of the remaining work could reach $18.5 million.
All six board members voted in favor of moving forward with the plan.
As the district moves into the next phase of remediation, parents say maintaining open communication will be essential to rebuilding trust with the community.
Eisenberg said continued transparency is particularly important for families with children who will remain in the district for years to come.
“I think that it needs to be continued at a very high degree of transparency to continue to rebuild that trust within the community,” he said.
With two children currently in fourth and second grade, Eisenberg said the district's decisions will have a lasting impact on his family.
“This isn't just for today or tomorrow. This is for a decade plus for me and my family,” he said.
For now, families are looking ahead to the planned reopening, hoping the extensive work will allow students and staff to return to a safe learning environment.
