Farmersville Elementary to Stay Closed Through Friday

Farmersville Elementary School will remain closed through the end of the week to “complete the cycle of rigorous cleaning, air-quality testing and inspections” necessary to ensure that mold has been eliminated from classrooms, district officials announced Wednesday.

“While we continue to make progress in the remediation and air testing of affected rooms, this process is not complete as of Wednesday evening,” Superintendent Joseph Roy said in a memo posted to the district Website.

The memo said the process of ensuring the building’s safety continues to be directed by the district’s certified industrial hygienist.

That means the Bethlehem Township elementary school will not open until Tuesday at the earliest as the long Labor Day weekend approaches.

Classes in the Bethlehem Area School District began on Monday in all buildings except East Hills Middle School, which also had a mold problem that forced the district to delay the start of class there by one day.

Staff at Farmersville Elementary School discovered the mold on Aug. 21, more than a week after the mold discovery at East Hills.

The district has hired Sargent Enterprises Inc. to work on mold remediation—a process that includes using hospital grade disinfectant to wipe down walls, floors and furniture and using a HEPA-filtered vacuum to clean everything else, including schoolbooks.

“We understand the inconvenience this continued closure is causing many families and apologize for that inconvenience,” the superintendent’s memo says.

“However, we will not rush the process as we work to ensure a clean and safe learning environment for our students and staff. We will determine how these emergency closure days impact the school calendar after consultation with the PA Department of Education.”

Families who have their children enrolled in Farmersville Elementary School Day Care may continue to bring them to Miller Heights Elementary School while Farmersville remains closed, but additional costs may apply, the memo said.