Bayside Middle School, which has been plagued by a leaky roof for more than 20 years, has closed its art room and library for two days to allow for the removal of green mould.
In a note on the school’s website, Kim Milburn, the Saanich school district’s facilities director, says indoor air and materials testing found mould growing behind vinyl wallpaper in the rooms. The wallpaper had trapped moisture and allowed the release of airborne spores.
The areas in each of the two rooms measured less than 10 square feet and the concentration of spores was the same as that found outdoors, Milburn said. “However, some persons with immunocompromising illnesses or other medical conditions might experience adverse effects,” he said. “So, out of an abundance of caution, we will proactively close the art [room] and library on Thursday and Friday to remediate those two areas.”
Milburn said maintenance staff will cut out the mould and temporarily refinish the two wall areas. The district expects to reopen the rooms on Monday.
Superintendent Keven Elder said it’s the first time that the district has had to remediate for mould in Bayside, which has been leaking since the school opened in Brentwood Bay in 1992.
“We haven’t had to concern ourselves with that until this year,” he said.
“So it points to the urgency of roof replacement so that, as we go forward, we won’t have water coming in to exacerbate what is an emerging problem.”
Milburn said testing confirmed the school’s spaces were well ventilated, which had helped to prevent mould growth over the years.
The mould concentrations throughout the school “do not exceed those of outdoor testing, but species vary from those found outside,” he said.
The district estimates that, so far, it has spent about $380,000 on repairs to the roof and pegs the cost of replacing the roof at $2.6 million. It wants the government to cover more than half of that.
Education Minister Mike Bernier admits the situation has gone on for too long, but he has stopped short of promising additional money to fix the problem.
He said Thursday that his staff and the ministry are in the “final stages” of discussions about the best approach.
