Richmond Public Schools provides update on Obama Elementary mold closure, cleanup efforts

RICHMOND, Va. — Richmond Public Schools shared an update Tuesday after mold issues forced the closure of Barack Obama Elementary until further notice.

Superintendent Jason Kamras said the earliest the school could reopen is next week.

"As I shared at the end of last night's discussion, our plan is to return to Obama as soon as it is safe to do so," Kamras said. "The earliest that will be is next week, meaning that the building will remain closed until then. In parallel, we are staging Clark Springs to receive scholars in case it is ultimately needed."

Richmond

Mold forces indefinite closure of Obama Elementary as new school year begins

WTVR Web Staff

Cleanup efforts

Kamras said remediation efforts at the school began at 5 a.m. Tuesday. Teams are prioritizing the list of specific locations shared by staff members and will also search throughout the building.

Air conditioning and a dehumidifier are running continuously.

"Relative humidity levels across the building were maintained at a healthy 46%–55%," Kamras said.

Negative-ion scrubbers are being used to remove any potential airborne spores. Crews are conducting moisture checks throughout the building as efforts continue.

Childcare and activities update

Starting Thursday, the Richmond Parks and Recreation Department will host Obama Elementary students at Pine Camp Arts and Community Center on Old Brook Road. The program runs from 7:30 a.m. to 2:45 p.m., with school bus transportation provided. An aftercare option will allow students to stay until 5 p.m.

Meal distribution will also begin Thursday morning outside Obama Elementary.

Enrolling in other schools

The district said there will be limited seats available for some grades at McClenney and Overby-Shepherd elementaries. More information on those placements is expected to be released Wednesday.

CBS 6 spoke with Florencia Fuensalida shortly after Kamras sent out the update. She said while the school community is supportive of the Obama staff, they have felt like the administration has not been as responsive and is why they pushed for Monday night's town hall.

"It seems like we might have gotten some points across in this -- in this town hall with the information that they just provided us in terms of the transportation, the childcare, and the food that they're willing to work with for folks this week. But we have to see what's going to happen long term," Fuensalida said, who added there are still many unanswered questions. "Where we're going to be, timelines, air quality, what's the remediation, the source of of the mold, where is it coming from, the the rodents, all of it. All of that is still short term. I mean, it's not only long term, but hopefully we're we're moving."

Another parent, Rotisha, speaking to CBS 6 after Kamras' update Tuesday morning said the whole ordeal had been disruptive from a childcare perspective and she did not want to return to virtual learning.

When asked about the timeline the administration was aiming for a return to the building and if she would feel safe sending her kids back, she said it was a short time line.

"That's a lot of school to be really getting the mold and stuff out. I think, honestly they need to revamp it. It's been up for some years," she said (Obama Elementary is over 100 years old). "Just redo it, honestly, so you really get it right."

Fundraiser for teachers

Some Obama Elementary parents have launched a fundraiser to help teachers replace classroom items that may have been discarded because of the mold issues. Click here to view the fundraiser.

This is a developing story, so check back with WTVR.com for updates. Email the CBS 6 Newsroom if you have info, photos or videos to share.