Classes begin amid mold concerns at Crafton Elementary
Despite concerns from parents and staff members over the discovery of mold on campus, classes will begin as planned Monday at Crafton Elementary School.
That was the word Sunday from John Kreider, superintendent of the Carlynton School District.
“Carlynton is excited to open our doors (Monday) to all students to welcome them back to the 2026/2027 school year,” Kreider said in a text.
But at least one parent won’t be sending his child to Crafton Elementary for the first day of classes.
Cody Sheets, who has a daughter in second grade, said he’s disappointed and discouraged over the district’s handling the situation, which began unfolding last Monday, Aug. 17, when teachers returning to the classroom noticed “higher than expected humidity levels” in some rooms, Jeff Taylor, the district’s assistant superintendent, said via email.
That discovery prompted the district to have its environmental consultant, Intertek PSI, conduct airborne mold spore sampling in multiple areas throughout the elementary school campus. Testing identified what the district reported as elevated concentrations of Penicillium/Aspergillus group spores in four classrooms – Rooms 101-104 – when compared with an exterior sample.
Other sampled locations, including the second-floor library, two other classrooms and the cafeteria “did not demonstrate the same pattern of elevated indoor concentrations,” the district reported.
According to a district eBlast posted on social media, Intertek PSI conducted follow-up mold spore sampling at multiple locations on Aug. 20. Results of those samples weren’t available as of Sunday, Kreider said via text. He also said additional data will be collected this week.
According to mayoclinic.org, the aspergillus mold is a type of fungus that can cause an infection called aspergillosis. According to the website, the illnesses resulting from aspergillosis infection usually affect the respiratory system. The website states that while most strains of the aspergillus mold are harmless, a few strains can cause serious illnesses when certain people inhale the fungal spores.
“These strains are most dangerous for people with weakened immune systems, underlying lung disease or asthma,” the website states.
According to the Aug. 21 eBlast, signed by Kreider and addressed to district families, staff and community members, Intertek PSI recommended that the district:
- Continue the use of HEPA-filtered air scrubbers and industrial dehumidifiers;
- Complete commercial HEPA vacuuming of carpeting;
- Continue the isolation and remediation of Rooms 101–104; and
- Continue occupancy of the remainder of the building, which Intertek PSI has certified as safe for occupancy by students and staff.
“This determination is important and reassuring,” wrote Kreider, who added that the health and safety of the district’s students and employees remains “our highest priority.”
“The environmental professionals working directly with the District have determined that, outside of the isolated Rooms 101–104, Crafton Elementary School is safe for students and employees to occupy.”
But not everyone is convinced. Sheets, for one, won’t be sending his daughter to school Monday – a decision that he said was not easy to make.
“As a parent, I feel like I’ve been beaten into submission, having to make that decision for my daughter,” he said.
Sheets and RJ Carrabbia, another district parent, both are upset because district officials aren’t releasing the actual results of the mold testing that Intertek PSI conducted.
Sheets said it’s difficult to decide whether to send a child to school based on the district’s use of the word “elevated” in relation to the concentrations of Penicillium/Aspergillus group spores.
“Parents shouldn’t have to make a decision based on that,” he said. “We should have concrete information.”
Sheets said he doesn’t think district officials are trying to cover anything up or “that anyone is doing anything nefarious. But there is no data for any parent to base whether it’s safe to send their student to school. None of the results are being made public.”
Carrabbia, whose daughter is in the fifth grade, agreed, saying that district parents deserve to see the actual data, not just a timeline of how the district responded to the mold discovery and the various steps that have been taken since then.
“I want to see independent, certified air quality results, not just an internal update, shared with every parent,” he said. “Right now we’re being asked to trust a process that we can’t see.”
Carrabbia said it would be wise for the school board to consider postponing the start of classes at Crafton Elementary until the situation is resolved, even if that means shifting to remote learning.
Taylor said Crafton Elementary hasn’t experienced an issue with mold “over the past several years.” He said the four classrooms that are now off-limits are three kindergarten classrooms and one special education classroom.
Taylor said kindergarten instruction won’t be impacted for the time being because kindergarten students have individually scheduled appointments for readiness assessments, and those could take place in a conference room or small group instruction rooms.
“They do not require full classrooms,” Taylor said in an email.
Taylor said the first day of actual classroom instruction for kindergarten students is scheduled for Friday, Aug. 28.
“Therefore,” he wrote, “we anticipate a regular start to the school year for the students.”
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