Tour of former Monongahela Elementary Center building reveals mold, physical damage

An unmistakable musty odor hits visitors as they walk inside Monongahela Elementary Center.

The first thing they see is mold growing throughout the 90-year old building.

Walking through the building Monday, Ringgold school board Vice President Bill Stein turned the corner into a familiar room to see mold rising up the wall to meet paintings of children.

This was the cafeteria yeah, kids ate in here, Stein said.

Mold is also growing under the tile floor and up the side of a wall in the halls, causing lockers to rust. It is present in the carpets of the former computer lab. Mold and water damage has caused the paint to peel off the walls.

The building was the home of Monongahela High School until Ringgold High School opened in Carroll Township in 1979. The the building was converted to an elementary center before it was closed in 2011.

At the same time, the district closed Donora Elementary Center, the former Donora High School building, which had served the district since 1930. At one time, Ringgold considered a plan to reopen the buildings and renovate them for use as middle schools.

The board ultimately decided to pursue construction of a middle school at the Carroll Township site that houses the high school. That building would replace Ringgold Middle School formerly Finley Middle School which is shifting slightly because of pyrite beneath the surface.

The district expects the new middle school to be ready for the start of the 2017-18 school year.

The board recently authorized architect HHSDR to submit documents applying for funding under PlanCON.

View post:
Tour of former Monongahela Elementary Center building reveals mold, physical damage