Cleanup Begins After Mold Spores Shut Down Cherokee County School

Update Thursday, 6:31 pm

Crews are looking for more mold at Cherokee County School District schools.  Inspections began on schools in the district Thursday, after Blackburg Primary was shut down for two days for mold removal.  According to Interim Superintendent Kim Bagwell, test results from samples Tuesday night revealed the presence of mold spores in the school and the air of Blacksburg Primary.  Bagwell says the types of mold found, “aspergillus and penicillium”, do not pose a danger to students or staff who were inside for a week and a half before the school was closed for cleaning Thursday and Friday.

We asked Mary Black Memorial Staff Allergist Dr. Robin Go about the possible impact.  He says the types of mold they are reporting are not dangerous to most people but can be bothersome to those who are sensitive to those particular mold spores.  According to Go, “If you are certainly allergic to that, removal from the offending environment is always number one, and then you need to go to your doctor to have the symptoms treated, and if necessary to be tested if they are allergic to those things."

Bagwell says it is not likely students will have to make up the days being missed.

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A Cherokee County school is closed Thursday and Friday because of mold problems.

Cherokee county Interim School Superintendent Kim Bagwell tells us Blacksburg Primary school is closed because preliminary tests show possible fungal spores.

Results came back recommending the school be closed for the rest of the week for clean-up.

A parent we spoke with says she was concerned about her 8-year-old son, who is a second-grader at the school.

The district tells us the company conducting the testing, says it does not involve dangerous mold or black mold.

Reports indicate students and staff in the building were not in danger.

The district also confirms mold was found at Gaffney Middle School in an old band room no longer used by students.

Crews will test all of the schools for mold again starting Thursday.

Bagwell issued the following statement about the mold problem Wednesday night:

"Please be advised that based upon data from the latest mold spore sampling at Blacksburg Primary, the school will be closed on Thursday and Friday, August 26^th and 27^th.  In order to ensure the health and safety of our students and staff, it is the recommendation of Crossroads Environmental that a professional cleaning crew be utilized during this time to alleviate the presence of mold spores in the school.  This procedure is scheduled to be completed on Saturday and students will be able to return to school on Monday, August 29^th. "

Bagwell said parents were alerted of the closing via a phone message system. 

She says an outside consultant with Crossroads Environmental says the mold is not dangerous to staff or students who were inside the building.

News Channel 7's call to Crossroads Environmental on Wednesday had not been returned as of 7:40 p.m.  Bagwell says all of the Cherokee County School District schools will be retested again for air quality and mold.

We will continue to follow this story for you on-air, and online at WSPA.com.