As New Haven Public School (NHPS) students get ready to return to the classroom next week, the district is working to remediate “surface mold” from its buildings. Again.
That mold cleanup is the subject of three purchase orders that were included in information-only documentation at Monday’s Board of Education Finance and Operations Committee meeting, which was held online via Zoom.
The agreements are with three contractors to clean up mold at Wexler Grant, Edgewood, and Brennan-Rogers schools for a total price tag of $47,685.
The committee does not vote on information-only items and did not discuss the purchase orders Monday.
According to schools spokesperson Justin Harmon, all mold remediation will be complete before the 2024 – 25 school year begins on Aug. 29. “The mold we have found to date is surface mold, which is cleaned using ‘green’ detergent.”
For $19,675, West Haven-based New England Yankee Construction, LLC is contracted for mold removal in the air and a wipe down of everything in Wexler’s band room. The purchase order explains that the contractors will “remove all airborne spores detected during air test at Wexler School Band Room.”
For $13,010, New England Yankee Construction, LLC will “remove all airborne spores detected during air test” at Edgewood School’s cafeteria.
And for $15,000, Newington-based ServPro will conduct mold remediation in the Brennan-Rogers gymnasium.
Harmon provided no response to questions asked about whether other remediation efforts have been made for mold over the past year throughout the district, how long the mold has been present at the three buildings, what caused the mold growth, or a response to families with concerns about their students entering these school buildings.