Mold closes Catholic high school for 4 days

ST. LOUIS COUNTY, MO (KPLR) A mold problem has kept some 300 children out of school since Friday at Queen of All Saints Catholic School on Christopher in the Oakville area of South St. Louis County.

But classes are scheduled to resume Thursday at the parish elementary school following extensive cleaning of the 25 classrooms and common areas. A round of post-cleaning tests was being completed on Wednesday afternoon.

Tests completed by an industrial hygiene and safety consultant showed mold in classrooms, on furniture, band instruments and ceiling tiles. The mold was identified asPenicillium, Aspergillus or Cladosporium, which can be found outdoors. It was not the more dangerous so-called black mold.

Bob Palisch, Manager of Archdiocesan Building Projects said the mold could cause allergic reactions. He described the problem in the school as extensive. The cleaning process included wiping all surfaces and spraying with a biocide that kills mold, cleaning out duct work and air handling units. Contaminated paper products and carpets or rugs were disposed of.

According to Palisch the cooler than normal summer may have contributed to the problem. Air conditioning units on the roof of the school did not run sufficiently to lower humidity levels. He said the parish would have the malfunctioning units repaired and probably launch a capital campaign to finance a replacement air conditioning system.

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Mold closes Catholic high school for 4 days