Mold causes problems for schools across the midstate

(Harrisburg) — Several midstate school districts had to delay the start of their academic calendars because of mold.

The discovery of spores pushed back the start of classes in Dauphin, Cumberland, Lancaster, Schuylkill and Northumberland counties this year.

Conestoga Valley School District in Lancaster County found mold in two of its elementary schools.

Public relations coordinator Kendal Gapinski said the problem is due to the buildings’ outdated heating and cooling systems.

“And because of the humidity, the wrapping that was around the pipes became saturated with condensation and that led to development of mold on those pipes,” Gapinski said. “That wrapping became so saturated that it started leaking down into a few of the drop ceiling tiles below.”

The incident delayed classes by two days. Gapinski said students in the hardest hit classrooms at Smoketown Elementary have been moved to other buildings until cleanup is finished, likely in October.

Classes in the Milton Area School District in Northumberland County are slated to start September 6, after a mold issue delayed the school year by two weeks.

Across counties, district officials have blamed the hot and unusually humid summer for mold issues.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention say exposure to mold can lead to respiratory problems such as coughing or wheezing, or cause eye or skin irritation.