Berry Shoals Intermediate School - Once-Moldy School Now Ready To Go

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Once-Moldy School Now Ready To Go

Wed Jul 31, 9:21 PM ET

A mold problem at a Spartanburg District 5 school has been fixed and school

is scheduled to start on time next week. But who will foot the $700,000

bill for the cleanup is still up in the air.

In April, mold was discovered in some sealed areas of the then-8-month-old

Berry Shoals Intermediate School. The problem was a result of delays in

installing the building's roof after a contractor went out of business.

Rain seeped into many areas of the building and allowed the fungus to grow

above ceilings and inside walls.

The school opened last August on schedule and it wasn't until April that the

extent of the mold problem was discovered, school officials said.

Mold had invaded major parts of the building, including administrative and

guidance offices and the media center, which had to be mostly gutted and

rebuilt from the framing out.

" All the sheetrock was gone, all the wallpaper was gone, I mean it looked

like a bomb had gone off in here, " Spartanburg District 5 superintendent Sid

Crumpton told WYFF News 4's Todd Gladfelter.

In addition to the walls, thousands of moldy ceiling tiles had to be removed

and replaced.

After school ended in May, contractors worked seven days a week to complete

the repairs in time for school.

School administrators said they haven't yet determined whether the district,

its insurers or the contractors will have to pay for the cleanup.

But while there are still no books on the library shelves, the classrooms

and other spaces are ready to go, Crumpton said.

" We could actually start school today, " Crumpton told News 4.

An environmental firm tested the repaired school and reported that the air

quality in the school is good.

Monitoring will continue at Berry Shoals throughout the year as well as in

the district's other schools.