BUFFALO, N.Y. — Willow Ridge Elementary School sent an email to families on Thursday alerting them of traces of mold found in the building.
Sweet Home School District Superintendent Michael Ginestre said that they have crews inside the building working around the clock. They are cleaning the entire building and pumping excess water out of a crawlspace.
"By the time we are all said in done, it will have had a top-to-bottom cleaning three times this summer, and with all the air purification going on in the building as well," Ginestre said.
They have partnered with a company called Stohl Environmental to test the air quality in the building and to supervise cleaning efforts. They are not planning on reopening the school until those levels are safe for everyone in the building.
Jamal Bacon is a mom with three kids in the school.
"Having the district send out the emails and act on it right away, and go above and beyond, was a relief to myself and other parents around me," she said. "So we are really hopeful that school is going to start on time, and everything is going to be taken care of."
School begins Tuesday for the Sweet Home School District, and Ginestre said he is confident that they will be able to open on time. But if not, they are considering remote learning.
Tiare Fromm has a second-grader. She is a bit worried about school starting on time but knows the school has the children's best interest in mind.
"There was clearly concern. We were just a little worried with school starting just next week. It's a matter of, can they get this fixed in the right amount of time?" Fromm said, "If they have to put school off for the next couple of days and that's what's best for the kids, then that's what we want."
Parents also expressed concern over children that were in summer camps in the building. Ginestre said those camps were not held in any of the affected areas.