DEL SUR (KGTV)- Kids across the Poway Unified School District returned to school Thursday, but students at Del Sur Elementary will have to wait at least until next week as classrooms across the school are tested for mold.
The district says moisture and mold concerns were found in a number of classrooms, raising serious concerns among parents who say the problem is not new, and question why they were notified so late.
Parents received an email about the delay just hours before the first day of school was set to begin.
Concerns over mold spores force late start to school year at Del Sur Elementary School
Sabrina Uppal, a parent and substitute teacher at Del Sur Elementary, said the situation is part of a longer pattern.
"Honestly, it was disappointing, you know, we've heard that there's been mold issues at the school for years now, and you would think after a child has gotten very sick with the mold issue that they would have resolved the issues," Uppal said.
Restoration trucks were spotted at the elementary school on Thursday. District officials say they are cleaning and testing the affected classrooms, assessing every classroom, cleaning ductwork, and using air filtration and dehumidifiers.
But for parents, the concern goes beyond the delay — it centers on the health of students and teachers. One parent says they know teachers who reportedly got sick after returning to campus a few weeks ago while preparing for the school year.
"I mean obviously, it's the health concerns, we have young growing children, we don't want their lungs to be affected in any kind of way or their health at all, and the staff as well," Uppal said.
Parents say this is not the first time the school has faced this issue, and they worry it will not be the last.
"They knew that there was an issue and they did not resolve it," Uppal said. "If they don't go in and actually find the source of the mold, it just seems to me that it is gonna return."
Uppal said she is not comfortable sending her children back until she has more information.
"I will only be ready after seeing the reports from the air quality testing people, and I also wanna make sure that this is not the only testing that they're doing, that they're gonna be doing ongoing testing," Uppal said.
The district is targeting Tuesday or Wednesday of next week for the first day of school at Del Sur Elementary, but test results will determine whether the classrooms are safe to reopen.
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