Mold forces Omaha school to cancel classes for third straight day
Students went back to school Tuesday, after ‘all clear’ given
OMAHA, Neb. (WOWT) - On Monday, J.P. Lord School stood empty once again after it dismissed students early Thursday when staff found mold in the building.
The school serves students who are handicapped or have complex and chronic medical conditions.
Omaha Public Schools COO Charles Wakefield said it was on equipment that they stored over the summer.
“As staff went to pull out that equipment to start the school year, that’s when they saw the mold,” Wakefield said.
Officials identified the mold as cladosporium, which can cause allergies.
While there is no federal threshold for airborne mold levels, the Douglas County Health Department said it can be harmful.
“Out of the abundance of caution for our kids, especially students who attend J.L. Lord with their needs, we did send students home,” Wakefield said.
They believe they have it all cleaned up now, but they’re testing just to make sure.
“The students were in the school a couple hours before we sent them home,” Wakefield said. “At no time were they in harm’s way. Our test confirmed that the mold was not airborne while students were there, and they were never around the surface mold that we had.”
OPS said humidity in the building is the culprit. They worked with contractors on the heating and cooling system to address that.
JP Lord is bringing students back to school on Tuesday. They have now given the “all clear” to resume classes.
The health department said the school district has been in close contact with public health authorities to effectively lessen potential health risks.
Wakefield said if any families have medical bills for students experiencing health issues related to mold, they should work directly with the school on that.
—
Get the latest breaking news delivered to your inbox. Sign up for 6 News email alerts.
Copyright 2024 WOWT. All rights reserved.
