SAN DIEGO, Calif. — Exclusive photos obtained by Team 10 are giving the public the first look at the clean-up effort inside Del Sur Elementary School, which was abruptly closed earlier this year due to mold problems.
The photos, which are part of official mold inspection reports, show workers dressed in protective equipment as they clean classrooms and do other remediation work at the San Diego school.
Some of the images show what appears to be black mold inside the school’s HVAC system and on vents that were taken outside to be washed in soapy water.
Team 10 started digging into the issue after parents came forward with concerns after the Poway Unified School District abruptly delayed the opening of Del Sur a day before the start of the school year following the discovery of mold spores in multiple classrooms. Del Sur remains closed and students have been moved off-site to Stone Ranch Elementary School for the rest of the year.
"We were aware there were mold issues. I did not realize that it was such a concern,” said parent Sadie Walton, who spoke to us in August about her concerns.
The internal records we obtained show the district has spent over $766,000 on remediation and other costs related to the mold problem since July this year.
The documents back up claims from parents who’ve told us they’ve been complaining about mold at the school for years.
In 2023, records show there were dozens of complaints from staff about Del Sur’s HVAC system.
Maintenance requests show the system was leaking, making the carpet wet and creating “an unusual musty/foggy smell.”
A service order states, “The cooling fan unit got mold. Per the inspector need to clean.”
District hopes to have school reopened by January
In 2024, records show more mold was discovered inside classrooms. Workers with a remediation company used thermal cameras to photograph rooms as they tried to locate the problem.
Team 10 asked for an on-camera interview with an official from the Poway Unified School District, but our request was not granted.
In a statement, the district said its focus has been and will continue to be on communicating directly with schools and their families.
“The health and safety of students and staff are a top priority at Poway Unified School District. That is why we are making a concerted effort to remediate the issue at Del Sur Elementary. We appreciate the patience, understanding, and cooperation from both the Del Sur and Stone Ranch communities,” said district spokesman Steven Baratte.
He said the remediation effort at the school is ongoing and includes cleaning and replacing carpets, to evaluating HVAC and humidity control issues.
“While we have set January 2027 as our return date goal, we know this is not an easy fix. Because we want a long-term solution, we are still determining the source and any systems that may need to be updated or replaced to address it,” Baratte said.
Investigative Reporter Austin Grabish can be reached at austin.grabish@10news.com
