The San Diego Police Department's Southern Division police station has been cleared to reopen to the public and personnel following a temporary closure last week due to a potential mold issue, police said Wednesday.

Front counter services resumed normal operations on Tuesday, running Monday through Thursday from 6 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Community members should continue to dial 911 for emergencies and 619-531-2000 for non-emergencies. Many crimes can also be reported online at www.sandiego.gov/police.

Over the past week, the city took several steps to assess and remedy the issue at Southern Division. On Oct. 1, the city completed a thorough cleaning of the facility by a professional contract vendor. All furniture, walls, floors, carpets and other areas were sanitized using a specialized concentration of antimicrobial cleansing agent, followed by a facility fogging to eliminate invisible mold spores, according to the department.

A visual assessment of the HVAC ducting on Oct. 2 revealed no immediate signs of mold within the system. That same day, the County of San Diego Department of Environmental Health and Quality began an indoor air quality assessment, collecting interior samples for rush analysis to determine if mold persisted and to ensure conditions do not support future growth. Sample results ultimately determined that the area is safe for re-occupancy.

Although the HVAC system did not show any immediate signs of mold, the city will complete duct cleaning of the HVAC system to support air quality and further mitigate the potential for future mold growth, police officials stated.

To maintain a dry environment and prevent regrowth, the city is installing dehumidifiers in select locations throughout the station and locker rooms, and is exploring the installation of additional fans in the locker rooms.

Southern Division patrol officers resumed responding to calls for service from the police station earlier Tuesday afternoon.

SAN DIEGO (CNS) - The San Diego Police Department Southern Division temporarily closed its doors today due to a potential mold issue.

The station was closed Tuesday as a precaution while officials assessed the situation and determined whether further action was needed.

"The department is taking this proactive measure to protect the health and well-being of its employees and community members,'' the station said in a statement.

RELATED STORY:Local mold remediation company breaks down how mold could form in schools

Details about the assessment's completion were not immediately available as city officials and SDPD continued evaluating the situation.

Southern Division police services will continue, with employees temporarily operating out of the Southeastern Division, responding to calls for

service as usual.

Police advised the public to visit other police stations nearby while walk-in services at the Southern Division remain temporarily unavailable.

Anyone with an immediate emergency was urged to call 911.

All non-emergency calls should be made to 619-531-2000. Tipsters can also report information online at sandiego.gov/police.

Copyright 2026, City News Service, Inc.

SAN DIEGO (KGTV) Students from the Monarch School in Barrio Logan have been temporarily relocated after possible mold concerns popped up on its campus. 

So as soon as we even thought that there was something happening with our air quality, we acted swiftly and decisively to make sure that we are doing abundance of care to make sure that our campus is safe for all of the people that we serve, said Tamara Craver, the president and CEO of Monarch School.

Craver told ABC 10News the suspicion of mold popped up on Thursday night; the pivot to temporarily close the building and relocate the students to different schools was made on Friday.

The air quality testing is based around there was a suspicion of mold, Craver said. Testing was completed on Friday, and we will get results back in the next couple of days, and so we can't make any decisions until we have those expert decisions back, and then we'll go from there. 

Craver told ABC 10News that all of the services that they offer to their students and families here on campus havent been interrupted with this temporary relocation as they await the test results with this possible mold concern. 

Monarch students in kindergarten through 5th grade are temporarily taking classes at Perkins K-8, while students 6th grade through 12th grade are taking their classes at South County Regional Education Center in National City.

Monarch School educates homeless students, and it also provides wraparound services for them and their families on the journey in and out of homelessness.

There are absolutely no programs being impacted by the relocation of our students. All therapy sessions are still being held, Craver said. All support systems for housing, food insecurity, housing insecurity, anything that our families and students need, we have met every single need of our parents and our families and our students, so nothing is being impacted on the services that we're providing.

Craver said the schools been in constant communication with the San Diego County Office of Education during the temporary relocation of the students this week. 

She added she isnt able to say how long the closure will last at this time since they have to wait for the test results and the following recommendations. 

It's very upsetting that we're in this position because, you know, we don't want anything to happen to our students or our families, and this is a safe space, Craver said. We want to have everything here under one roof for them, so it is of utmost importance that we get this done swiftly and safely. 

SAN DIEGO (KGTV) The Monarch School has been temporarily closed, and students have been relocated over concerns about possible mold on campus.

According to the San Diego County Office of Education, the school serves about 170 students who are experiencing homelessness.

The decision was made Friday, August 28, after concerns were brought up late Thursday, SDCOE said. "Families and staff were notified of the situation Thursday and Friday evening with reminders throughout the weekend about the plan," officials said.

Monday, students in kindergarten through 5th grade walked to the nearby Perkins K-8 school with their teachers, while students in grades 6 through 12 were taken by bus to the South County Regional Education Center.

Read the full letter below:

Officials with the Poway Unified School District knew mold had been discovered in several classrooms at the Black Mountain Middle School but didnt inform parents until 10 days after students returned to the campus for the start of the new school year.

Team 10 received a tip last Wednesday that teachers were wearing N95 masks after mold was found on carpets, desks and other surfaces in several locations at the school before the start of the school year on Aug. 13.

Team 10 asked the district to tell us what was going on, but no one in the district responded.

On Saturday, Aug. 22 10 days after students returned to class Poway Unified sent a message to parents confirming the principal at Black Mountain had reported mold in classrooms before the start of the school year.

The district told parents in a notice Saturday night that mold was found in 14 rooms. Poway Unified said eight had low levels of mold spores, while six had high levels of mold spores.

Parents whove contacted Team 10 claimed this isnt the first time mold has been discovered at the school, and they claimed concerns from staff members at the school have fallen on deaf ears. They want to know why they werent informed before their children went back to class about the mold problems.

The schools website shows the principal sent weekly updates to parents in a newsletter on Aug. 2, Aug. 9, Aug. 12 and Aug. 16 that made no mention of the mold.

The district has not directly answered several questions from Team 10, but Poway Unified said it is committed to providing timely transparent information to parents. The district sent us a copy of initial testing results from Aug. 15 and Aug. 18 that found low, moderate and high levels of mold in over a dozen classrooms.

District spokesman Josu Reyna said before the school year started, officials relocated a classroom so students wouldnt be near the mold. A parent told us over the weekend her child was learning in the schools library.

Cleaning and remediation were completed over the weekend, including carpet cleaning, antimicrobial wiping of surfaces, cleaning air registers, and replacing HVAC filters, he said.

According to a letter from to the school district, the most recent testing on Tuesday showed an improvement in air quality, with six classrooms previously showing "moderate" or "high" levels now at "low."

"The Industrial Hygienist has just provided preliminary results indicating all six rooms now show a low probability that mold originated from the building structure," the district said in a note.

The district will continue to monitor conditions "before making decisions about when relocated classes return to their regular rooms."

Team 10 has filed a public records request with the Poway Unified School District asking for documents showing what school officials knew and when about the problem.

POWAY, Calif. (KGTV) Two schools in the Poway Unified School District are being greatly impacted and having testing done after mold concerns were found on the campuses.

A local company told ABC 10News that mold can pop even if school isn't in session because everythings locked up, theres not enough ventilation happening, and temperatures inside classrooms and other buildings are higher than normal because the a/c is turned off.

Usually, the most common way is water damage; some type of leak. But usually what happens over the summer is well have whats called spontaneous mold growth, said Moe Bedard, the owner of Mold Safe Solutions

In the past few weeks, mold has been found at two schools in the Poway Unified School District Black Mountain Middle and Del Sur Elementary. 

Bedard has no connection to the district, but as an expert in the field, ABC 10News asked him about how mold can form in a school. 

What you have is the air conditioning; youre turning it off and on. And then youll have prolonged time periods, like say in the summer, where its really hot, they turn off the A/C and literally close the doors, and they dont come back for several months. So it creates these thermal conditions for like the mold to start growing, Bedard said.

The district and Black Mountain Middle School said on Monday that cleaning and remediation efforts in impacted rooms were finished on Sunday.

Next steps and test results for parents were broken down in documents that Poway Unified sent to the school community. In part of those documents, they said, The leading hypothesis is that moisture remained following summer carpet cleaning, creating conditions that allowed mold to develop in some rooms. That hypothesis has not yet been conclusively established.

ABC 10News asked Bedard if this could cause mold to grow in a school.

Unfortunately, with steam carpet cleaning, it takes anywhere from 48 to 72 hours for that carpet to dry. With most schools, it is commercial carpet. It will dry quicker, but for example, if it's not dry, they close those doors; that mold will grow, Bedard said.

The districts document said that factors such as indoor humidity, leaks, HVAC operation, and carpet cleaning will be examined in the mold investigation.

Bedard told ABC 10News some of his solutions for keeping areas mold-free.

Before you close up the doors, maybe do a clean, a wipe down of the classrooms, and then maybe every 30 days, 2 weeks you have the janitors open up the rooms and let air go through there rather than let them close for 2 months and then you come to mold growing on everything, Bedard said.

After an 11-day delay, Del Sur Elementary School students finally began their school year Monday morning, temporarily sharing a campus with Stone Ranch Elementary after mold was discovered at their school.

Poway Unified School District discovered moderate mold levels in several rooms at Del Sur Elementary, announcing the findings just one day before school was originally set to start.

More than 900 Del Sur students were moved to Stone Ranch Elementary, bringing the combined campus population to around 1,500 kids.

The first day brought sweet moments special first-day photos, students reuniting with favorite teachers, and parents offering last-minute pep talks.

However, not everyone arrived feeling at ease.

"I'm feeling really anxious. I think there's just a lot of unknown," Sadie Walton said.

Walton's daughter, Rose, is among the Del Sur students now attending Stone Ranch. Walton said she had some awareness of the situation before the announcement.

"We were aware that there were mold issues. I did not realize that it was such a huge concern," Walton said.

One Stone Ranch parent, Quentin Jammer, said he supports the arrangement.

"As long as the kids are, you know, in the classroom and learning safely, that's all that really matters," Jammer said.

Jammer is also looking at the bright side for his kids meeting new kids as well as his children getting to be at school with friends from extracurricular activities. Walton's daughter is also excited to meet new kids, but she'll be sad to leave them, whenever that is.

"I don't like that we might make friends there, but then we might go back to Dewser and we can't see them anymore," Rose said.

The two schools are expected to share the Stone Ranch campus for at least a month, until September 21st. Walton said she hopes Del Sur can reopen by the target date, but she is already weighing other options if the mold problem is not resolved.

"We have no problem leaving because we need to make sure that we need to get a good education for. We can't be playing this game the whole time," Walton said.

RELATED COVERAGE:

Mold discovered at Black Mountain Middle School has forced officials to adjust classrooms shortly into the school year, according to a letter sent out to families Saturday night.

This marks the second school in the Poway Unified School District to have mold concerns this school year; Del Sur Elementary was forced to delay the start of their school year after mold was found in several areas of the campus.

See previous ABC 10News coverage of mold impacts at Del Sur Elementary in the player above.

Mold concerns were originally observed by Black Mountain Middle School staff in buildings 10A and 10B and officials reassigned a class to a different room before the school year began after visibly spotting mold, according to the letter.

Parents like Jennifer Dahlquist Ramirez found out from her daughter in the car ride home.

"I think it was Thursday, and she said, Mama, we're still in the library. I said, What do you mean you're still in the library?" said Jennifer Dahlquist Ramirez, a parent at the school. "She said, well, we had to move out of our classroom."

After preliminary laboratory data was collected across August 15 and 18, a total of eight classrooms had "low levels of mold spore," while six classrooms had "high levels of mold spores."

The district also emphasizes that this is preliminary data, stating, "The industrial hygienist has advised us that these are raw laboratory results and should not be interpreted as the final assessment."

District officials told ABC 10News that they are taking steps to remedy the issue, including "working diligently... to address the affected spaces, investigate the source of the moisture, and ensure any necessary remediation."

Any students who have a specific medical concern are urged to consult their healthcare provider.

"I'm the parent of chronically ill children who are very sensitive to things like mold, and so, as a parent, I understand the the fear and the frustration and the anger, and I have a lot of empathy for that. I would have appreciated an email on that day that my daughter was taken out of the classroom," said Dahlquist Ramirez.

Officials also tell ABC 10News that updated reports for Black Mountain Middle School are expected later Sunday night.

Read the full statement below:

Additional test results and information can be found here.

POWAY, Calif. (KGTV) It's been more than a week since the first day of school, and kids at Del Sur Elementary still have not had a class.

Despite holding a meeting for Del Sur Elementary parents, some still have questions about how things will unfold amid mold concerns at the school. 

First and foremost, we're relieved that there is a plan, Jenn Knight, a Del Sur Elementary parent who attended the meeting on Wednesday, said. "There is a plan to keep them all together with their teachers and their classmates. 

Following this parent meeting Wednesday night, which at times got heated, ABC 10News spoke with Knight about the plan to temporarily move her kids and others to Stone Ranch Elementary about two miles away.

"We still have a lot of concerns just about the structural integrity of the Del Sur Elementary School building, Knight said. We didn't get a lot of answers about the source of the leak. They still don't know the source. 

While the kids will be moving locations, we've discovered the district wont be moving physical materials from Del Sur to Stone Ranch.

While that solved one concern, parents still have plenty of others.

"How the drop-off is going to work. They did say we're going to be staggered with Stone Ranch's schedule because Stone Ranch starts an hour earlier, Knight said. So we will be starting an hour later than Stone Ranch, but we're worried is that going to be disruptive to Stone Ranch's Day? 

Those with family members at Stone Ranch have concerns, too. 

"I just don't want to see any accidents happening and it getting like too congested to where like there's like a line going up the street, which usually sometimes almost happens even now without like having extra kids coming in, Dassah, who picks up and drops off her nephew at Stone Ranch, said.

ABC 10News emailed the Poway Unified School District asking about pickup and drop-off, school lunch, class sizes, the latest on the mold testing, and more. 

It said in a statement that it is planning its logistics for Monday.

The District sent ABC 10News the following: Del Sur and Stone Ranch will be co-located on the same campus, not merged into one school. The two schools will continue operating in separate classrooms and on separate schedules, including different start and dismissal times. Arrival, dismissal, recess, lunch, and other logistics are being coordinated around those separate schedules. Stone Ranch was selected in large part because the campus has the capacity to accommodate the Del Sur school community during the temporary relocation. Food and Nutrition Services is planning for the additional students coordinated as part of the broader campus plan."

In another update provided to parents Thursday evening, materials from Del Sur will not be moved to Stone Ranch. Students will be provided with new instructional and classroom supplies.

Other operational details are still being finalized today and will be communicated directly to families before Monday.

For your questions regarding ESS, testing and remediation results, the root-cause investigation, missed instructional days, and the timeline of the most recent moisture and mold concerns, those topics are already addressed in the Del Sur FAQ: https://delsur.powayusd.com/apps/pages/del-sur-elementary-remediation-faq [delsur.powayusd.com]

Knight told ABC 10News there's still a big question on her mind: whats going to happen to Del Sur and the mold?

We don't know what is going to be done with the building and everything there; that's the biggest question now, Knight said.

Frustrated Del Sur Elementary parents demanded answers Wednesday night as Poway Unified School District officials faced families for the first time since mold concerns delayed the start of the school year.

The meeting at Del Norte High School came after more changes to the district's plans including another delay in students returning to their home campus.

The district announced that Del Sur students are now expected to return to class Monday, but not at Del Sur Elementary. Instead, students will attend Stone Ranch Elementary for at least the next month while officials work to identify the root cause of the mold concerns.

The news created another challenge for families already dealing with disrupted schedules.

It's gonna take like 40 minutes of traffic to get our kids to school and pick them up, one parent named Becca said. And I have a kid at another school too, and I'm a full-time working mom. I mean, it's just none of it makes sense.

The Wednesday meeting quickly became emotional as parents pressed district and school officials for more information about the mold concerns, the district's response and what the coming weeks will look like for their children.

One parent questioned why families had not received more information about whether their children could have been affected.

Other parents described feeling frustrated and worried about their children's health.

Like it is very heartening to see them making all the effort, but also, we were all very worried, another parent said. Are our kids sick with mold in their chest? We don't know.

District officials said they are continuing to work to determine the root cause of the mold issue and reassured parents they were discussing ways to make the temporary move to Stone Ranch as efficient as possible, including pickup and drop-off procedures.

Parents were told classroom assignments would be shared Friday.

At least four classes will also be held at the Boys & Girls Club, according to officials.

For some parents, the temporary arrangement is welcome if it gets students back into classrooms but they remain uncertain about whether the plan will resolve the underlying problem.

Hopefully the one month is enough time to clean everything up and then fix everything, one parent said. Hopefully they can just really find a solution and this is gonna be only a very short temporary thing.

The district's answers did little to ease all of the concerns in the room.

I don't know what to make of the situation, one parent said. At the same time, if they've made the provision, I want to give them a chance. But a part of me is also like, there's so many unanswered questions.

Other parents said their priority now is getting children back to learning while keeping communication open.

We want more answers from them, but I think the first thing is that get these kids back to learning, a parent said. They should be learning, and all our schedules are also getting disrupted.

Families said they hope Wednesday's meeting is the beginning of more consistent communication from the district.

So hopefully they will keep the communication channel open and be ready to answer open-ended questions next time, one parent said.

For Del Sur families, the immediate plan is clear: students are expected back in class Monday at Stone Ranch Elementary.

But many parents left Wednesday night's meeting still waiting for answers about how the district got here, what caused the mold concerns and when their children will finally be able to return to their own school.

DEL SUR (KGTV)- The Poway Unified School District says Del Sur Elementary students will temporarily relocate to Stone Ranch Elementary next week while crews continue investigating mold and moisture problems at the school.

The district says most areas that were tested are now in an acceptable range, but other areas still need more work.

The entire Del Sur Elementary student body nearly 1,000 students will move to Stone Ranch Elementary for approximately one month. The district expects students to return to Del Sur on Sept. 21.

Parent Jenn Knight, who has 2 kids attending Del Sur Elementary, said she understands the decision and is relieved there is a plan, but still has concerns.

"We have a very large school, almost 1,000 students moving into another school, we're concerned about capacity and how all of that is going to play out," Knight said.

Knight said many questions remain unanswered for Del Sur families.

"There's still a lot of unknowns. We still have not been told the source of the mold; that's a big lingering question parents have. We still don't know what's going to be done to prevent this from happening again. We want to know what ongoing testing will be done," Knight said.

Parents are also worried about the instructional time their children have already missed.

"Only our students have been out of school. Where do they start in the curriculum? How do we make up that time? Does that go into summer?" Knight said.

Pediatrician Dr. Pejman Katiraei said parents who are concerned about mold exposure should watch for certain symptoms in their children.

"A kid that was fine is now getting sick all the time, is congested, and has ear infections. A constant pattern of congestion, allergies, and illness. For other kids, it shows up neurologically where they've got learning problems, they can't focus, they can't process, they've become anxious, depressed, or they become reactive," Katiraei said.

Knight said parents want a permanent solution and answers about the root cause of the problem.

"Seeing more results about what's inside the walls and underneath the carpets would be a great place to start. We really want to know that information before we can decide how comfortable we'd be with the current progress," Knight said.

The district says remediation efforts are continuing.

This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.

SAN DIEGO (KGTV) Del Sur Elementary School will temporarily relocate to Stone Ranch Elementary after testing showed moderate levels of mold in some areas, according to an update provided by school officials on Tuesday.

The relocation will last about a month, with the first day for Del Sur students at Stone Ranch on Monday, Aug. 24. The relocation is scheduled from Monday, Aug. 24, to Friday, Sept. 18, with an estimated return to Del Sur on Monday, Sept. 21.

This comes one day after Poway Unified School District said students might return to class this Thursday if "results confirm remediation has been successfully completed." However, the post-remediation results showed lingering mold concerns.

According to the update, rooms 124, 126, 133, and 147; the Multi-Purpose Room; and the first-floor hallway showed a moderate probability of mold spores originating from inside, while the majority of areas were deemed acceptable following remediation.

They told us that there's not a lot of activities and summer programs happening at the school because they were going to fix the issue, but it turns out that they actually didn't do that," said Sabrina Uppal, a parent and substitute teacher at Del Sur Elementary, in a previous interview with ABC 10News.

The school says they will continue remediation and moisture-control equipment while additional work, investigation and evaluation takes place.

"Although most of the areas tested at Del Sur are now in the acceptable range, we do not want to approach the remaining concerns with another temporary solution. Temporarily relocating the school gives us the time and full access to the campus needed to continue investigating the broader moisture and humidity conditions, complete additional corrective work, and pursue a more permanent solution without repeatedly disrupting students and staff," the update stated.

The school district outlined what will happen during the relocation period:

"We recognize that temporarily relocating an entire school creates significant logistical questions for families and staff. We are finalizing those details now, including arrival and dismissal, ESS, preschool, classroom assignments, meals, and other day-to-day operations. We will share that information as soon as it is finalized and will continue providing regular updates throughout the temporary relocation," the district said.

There is a scheduled family information session at the Del Norte High School Performing Arts Center on Wednesday, Aug. 19, at 6:30 p.m.

District officials said, The session will provide an opportunity to share more information about the remediation work, environmental testing and results, the decision to temporarily relocate, and our plans for addressing the remaining concerns at Del Sur. We will also provide additional information about the start of the school year for Del Sur students at Stone Ranch Elementary and answer questions from families. We will record the session and make it available online for families who are unable to attend.

A Poway Unified official told ABC 10News that media will not be allowed into the session because it is intended for families to ask questions and express concerns.

Media also will not have access to Del Norte High during the meeting because students will be on campus for activities and programs.

SAN DIEGO (KGTV) - Families at Del Sur Elementary are still waiting to learn when their children will return to school after mold was found in several areas of the campus, delaying the first day of school.

The Poway Unified School District says crews spent Sunday completing remediation work in common areas, including HVAC and carpet cleaning, HEPA vacuuming, and wet wiping of hard surfaces. An independent industrial hygienist completed post-remediation sampling in areas where remediation work has been finished.

Students could potentially return to campus on Thursday, August 20, but that timeline depends on what the most recent test results show.

According to the district's latest update, initial testing results are expected to be received and reviewed on Tuesday, August 18. If results confirm remediation has been successfully completed, teachers and staff will return on Wednesday, August 19, to prepare classrooms, and the school will reopen for students on Thursday, August 20.

If results indicate additional work is needed, the district says it will communicate that information and any changes to the reopening timeline as soon as possible.

The district is also developing an alternate reopening plan in the event that portions of the campus require additional work, including options for a partial reopening if the entire campus is not yet ready.

For some parents, the situation brings up concerns that go back years. Jenn Knight said she and other parents raised concerns about their children's health as far back as 2024.

"We're feeling very nervous and wondering if it is safe. We don't know, we don't think it will be safe at this time, we don't feel like enough has been done to prevent this from happening again," Knight said.

Knight said the superintendent confirmed there was mold in 2024 and said remediation would be put in place.

"We just feel like they've had years of knowing this, and years to take care of it and that now we're the ones paying for it. Us and our children and teachers," Knight said.

Another parent, Karyn Herrera, said her son tested positive for mold exposure in 2024, though it is not certain it was related to the school.

"Some kids had asthmatic symptoms other kids had would come home with headaches. It was one of those things that caught me by surprise, and I said I need to get him tested," Herrera said.

The district says it will share test results and next steps with families once they have been reviewed. A family information session is also tentatively planned for Wednesday evening, before students return to campus. The session will cover remediation work, environmental testing and results, ongoing monitoring, and next steps, and will include a question-and-answer opportunity for families. The district says it will record the session and make it available online for families who cannot attend.

The district is asking that families and community members not enter the campus unless specifically authorized, noting that Del Sur remains an active work site and that unauthorized access could interrupt remediation activities, disturb containment measures or equipment, and potentially delay the work and testing necessary to reopen the campus.

This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.

SAN DIEGO (KGTV) The campus of Del Sur Elementary in Poway is empty as classrooms at the school are tested for mold spores.

ABC 10News spoke with Chase Bedard, a mold inspector for Mold Safe Solutions, about what goes into mold inspections and remediations in a large building like a school.

So all of this is pretty much the same that we would use in a home, smaller business, something like that. The only difference is it's a larger scale, Bedard said. Definitely start with the visual, use lights, moisture meters, thermal imagery, anything that gives us indication of any mold growth, any visible mold growth, any moisture conditions conducive to mold growth.

All the work they have to do depends on the scale of the building or school they need to inspect and possibly remediate later.

Just inspecting one classroom, one large, say like office room could take up to 2 hours, Bedard said. So if we're saying an entire school, you know, 10+ classrooms of significant size, that could take up to several days to do it completely accurately, Bedard said.

Bedard said the testing aspect of remediation can be done quickly, and the actual remediation can take a couple of days or a week, depending on how many people and how big an area needs to be cleared of mold.

We would really do a top-to-bottom approach. So, every building, basically every single surface would need to be physically wiped from the ceilings, walls, floors, desks, inside cabinetry. Everything needs to be physically wiped; all carpets, fabrics, anything like that needs to be vacuumed, Bedard said.

Things could be removed if theyre a source of contamination, such as a leaky pipe or flooded drywall or flooring.

ABC 10News asked Bedard when students and staff would be allowed back into a school.

I'm not exactly informed of all the protocols that are taking place, of course, but as soon as the remediation is done, all areas are free of visible mold and retested, so they need to be tested again, verify that those levels have been brought down, that's when it would be safe for kids and everybody to return, Bedard said.

SAN DIEGO (KGTV)- Mold and moisture issues at Del Sur Elementary School forced the Poway Unified School District to delay the start of the school year and some parents say they were not told enough, or told soon enough, about what was happening on campus.

The district says it was working to resolve the problem and expected classrooms to be ready in time. But as the issues spread to more areas of the school, independent testing showed additional remediation was needed before students could return safely.

The problems began on July 31, when the school's principal reported moisture-related concerns in 2 classrooms. By Aug. 4, a third classroom was flagged, and the district brought in a restoration company to begin treatment.

Within days, the situation had grown. By Aug. 5, five more classrooms had reported concerns involving moisture, humidity, odors, or visible mold.

Sabrina Uppal, a parent and substitute teacher at Del Sur Elementary, said the problems were not limited to one part of the building.

"It's not just one corridor of the school that has issues. There are mold issues on many different parts of the campus," Uppal said.

On Aug. 7, staff were notified about the moisture concerns. Three days later, on Aug. 10, teachers in impacted classrooms were relocated when they returned to the building. Air samples were collected on Aug. 9, and the district received results 2 days later.

But some parents say the district's communication fell short of what families needed.

"In the emails that they sent, they actually didn't use the word mold; it said air quality. It wasn't until they put out a question and answer website where they actually use the word mold, so they weren't truly transparent on what is going on, what we should be looking out for," Uppal said.

Uppal also raised concerns about promises made over the summer.

"This summer they told us that there's not a lot of activities and summer programs happening at the school because they were going to fix the issue, but it turns out that they actually didn't do that," Uppal said.

On Aug. 12 one day before the first day of school the district decided to delay the start of classes and notified parents.

The district says it is now cleaning and testing all spaces on campus, including areas that have not reported problems. The next round of test results is expected Sunday or Monday, and those results will determine when students can return.

For at least one parent, the results alone will not be enough.

"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.

In an email sent to ABC 10News, the district told families that crews will continue mold remediation into this weekend with air sampling, surface tape-lift sampling, and wall-core sampling on Sunday. Aug. 16 and review on Tuesday, Aug. 18.

If the samples show the remediation was successful, teachers and staff could return on Wednesday, Aug. 19, to prepare their classrooms, and students could return to class on Thursday, Aug. 20.

This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.

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.

This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.

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:

"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:

Read the full letter below:

SAN DIEGO (KGTV) A San Diego State University student's family says mold in a campus dorm room made their daughter sick throughout her freshman year and now they want the school to return the money she paid to live there.

ABC 10News learned about this story at our Community Huddle in Chula Vista.

Isabella Villegas was excited to start college at SDSU last fall. The La Mesa freshman wanted the full on-campus experience and moved into Zura Hall in August. Shortly after moving in, her parents say she began getting sick.

"From a cold, runny nose, congestion, sore throat, a cough, she was waking up with migraine," said Shannon Villegas, Isabella's mom.

About a month after moving in, her parents say Isabella noticed what appeared to be mold inside her dorm room. They shared videos and pictures of the vents in her room with ABC 10News. They believe the mold was making her sick, and say doctors agreed.

"When she was home, she could breathe. She wasn't stuffed up. She wasn't waking up with headaches, so it was clear that every time she would go back there, she was immediately sick," said Villegas.

Her parents showed me her medical bills, which included several emergency room and urgent care visits. As time passed, they say Isabella's condition worsened.

"It ended up with peritonsillar abscesses that she had to have a surgery on and then an emergency tonsillectomy," said Villegas.

Isabella moved out in February, and her parents say her health has improved significantly. But she remains tied to her lease at SDSU, and her family wants the school to return the rent money she paid throughout the year.

"She's paying out of her own pocket because she wanted the full college experience, so she's out thousands of dollars," said Villegas.

ABC 10News reached out to San Diego State University about Isabella's case, and they sent us the following statement:

Isabella's parents say they have followed every step to be released from the housing agreement, including submitting medical documentation, but have not received a response.

"They basically have ghosted us and just kind of just slowballed us the whole way through so far, and we've heard nothing," said Dre Villegas, Isabella's dad.

EDITOR'S NOTE: Nearly two weeks after ABC 10News initial request to San Diego State University about Isabellas case, the university provided more information, in addition to their original statement to ABC 10News.

The school says they have responded to the students complaints and claims. They say Office of Housing Administration records show they emailed Isabella a comprehensive report from a third-party inspection showing that there was no evidence of mold. The school says the email has not been opened.

SDSU also disputes that Isabella moved out, saying they were able to access her key card records that show daily access to the students dorm community and ongoing use of her meal plan.

Additionally, the school says they reached out to the student again on Friday, May 8th, about Isabellas concerns and havent heard back.

This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.