Mold will delay start of school year at Iowa City Regina

Regina Catholic Education Center will delay its first day of school until Monday, Aug. 23, due to efforts to remediate mold found at the school last week.

Regina President Carol Trueg said that Penicillium/Aspergillus, a non-toxic allergenic mold, was discovered in the elementary wing of the Pre-K through Grade 12 facility. The source of the mold is most likely a small leak in a shut-off valve above an air-handler unit, which was magnified by the high humidity of the past week.

Experts at Johnson County Public Health emphasize that mold, especially the non-toxic mold that is present at Regina, is everywhere and does not cause health problems, but it can exacerbate existing health issues, and that the main concern is that the source of the mold be eradicated. Information about mold can be found on the Centers for Disease Control Web site, http://www.cdc.gov/mold/faqs.htm.

Trueg said that some rooms in the junior-senior high portion of the building were tested as well. One room, the 7th grade science room, has slightly elevated mold levels caused by a roof flashing problem and will also be remediated. The other junior-senior high rooms had normal results. Additional inspections and testing have been done in the junior-senior high due to the high humidity levels present throughout the center. Dehumidifiers have been placed in classrooms to reduce the humidity.

Regina officials have been assured by those working on the issue that adequate steps have been taken to remediate the mold as well as to prevent its return.

The seventh grade and new junior-senior high student orientation, pre-school open house, and the elementary open house are now scheduled to take place Friday, August 20, with the orientation scheduled for 8 to 10 a.m., pre-school open house from 10 a.m. to noon, and the elementary open house from 1:30 to 3 p.m.