Obama Elementary reopens Thursday amid parent concerns

RICHMOND, Va. — Students at Barack Obama Elementary are set to return to school Thursday — nine days after mold concerns delayed the start of the school year.

But some parents are pushing back and asking for the return to be delayed until after the Labor Day weekend.

In his Wednesday afternoon update, Richmond Publi c Schools Superintendent Jason Kamras confirmed Thursday's planned opening after all rooms had been cleared for reoccupancy.

Kamras said humidity levels in the school remain within federal guidelines and dehumidifiers will remain in place inside for the foreseeable future to keep indoor moisture levels low.

He added they are mandating monthly air quality testing to ensure long-term safety.

Kamras said single-use classroom bathrooms will be closed and turned off to prevent potential pipe leaks and will be brought back online one at a time throughout the year.

Watch: Obama Elementary parents divided over mold and rodent concerns: 'We love this school'

But not every parent is on-board with a return to school Thursday and said they have asked Kamras to delay the start until after the Labor Day long weekend.

"I do not think it is appropriate to be sending our children back into that school on Thursday," said Lexi Frank, the mother of a first grader. She added she is in group chats with dozens of parents — and said while she has not polled every single one, all but one she has spoken with agree.

"With everything that we have gone through, it is a disruption to our children to have to make a transition for one day, and not just give these teachers a break for this long Labor Day weekend we already have," said Frank. "I don't feel good about is the teachers that were in that building crying on Monday. What I don't feel good about are the seasoned teachers in there making Amazon wish lists like they just graduated from college...Our kids haven't even brought in their school supplies. We didn't get to have an open house, so all of the kids would be coming in on tomorrow, lugging in their school supplies, not knowing where any of their classrooms are."

Frank said she does not doubt it is safe to return to the school, but feels Kamras is trying to garner positive coverage.

She said her attempts and those of other parents to communicate with him by phone or email have gone unanswered.

"As another mom quoted at the town hall, I think he lacks empathy, and I don't think that he has our teachers and our children's best interest with this decision," Frank said.

In response to the request for a post-Labor Day start, an RPS spokesperson sent CBS 6 the following statement:

"The decision to return to the building tomorrow was made after much and careful consideration; it was not one RPS made lightly. We have heard from a select few families. We appreciate their advocacy for their student and understanding of all that goes into the decision-making process. We are so excited to welcome students to Barack Obama Elementary School tomorrow morning!" said the spokesperson.

"Although this has been stressful for everyone, we’re so grateful to our staff, parents, and community members who have stepped up to help," said 3rd District School Board Member and Obama parent Ali Faruk when asked about the request for the delay.

What FOIA reveals

Officials said the delays at Obama Elementary were caused by mold first reported on August 15, according to work orders obtained through a Freedom of Information Act request.

Officials blamed the mold on HVAC issues and a moist pipe in a supply closet.

CBS 6 also obtained a "Mold Mitigation & Remediation Assessment Report" that was prepared on August 26 by the company hired to remove the mold from the school.

It described the conditions in the various rooms of the school including:

• Visible suspected microbial/mold-like growth on building materials, furnishings, shelving, panel systems, corkboards, blinds, tables, desks, and other contents.
• Elevated moisture readings in selected walls and subfloor materials.
• Active or suspected plumbing and roof leaks.
• Water-impacted ceiling tiles.
• Bathroom subfloor moisture associated with plumbing fixtures.
• Ceiling cavities requiring additional inspection and cleaning after leak repairs and removal of affected ceiling materials.

The issues highlighted in the contractor's report mirror issues raised in work orders that have been placed for the school. The orders mention reports of a water/leaking issues that, in some cases, took months to be listed as resolved:

• Dec. 2, 2025 at 9:49AM: ceiling leak.
  
  • Resolved April 13, 2026.
• Feb. 4, 2026 at 11:29AM: ceiling leaking.
  
  • Resolved April 13, 2026
• Feb. 4, 2026 at 1:49PM: ceiling leaking.
  
  • Resolved March 4, 2026.
• May 12, 2026 at 9:57AM: Roof leak.
  
  • Resolved Aug. 21, 2026
• June 29, 2026 at 7:16AM: Flooding.
  
  • Resolved June 29, 2026.
• July 14, 2026 at 7:16AM: leaking water.
  
  • Resolved on July 29, 2026.

CBS 6 has requested more details from RPS on these cases.

The contractor's report noted that while the company would treat the mold, remediation "cannot provide a permanent solution where the underlying source of moisture remains active. Plumbing leaks, roof leaks, wet subflooring, saturated plaster, and other moisture sources identified in this report should be corrected as soon as possible."

The report recommended RPS mobilize crews to repair/replace building materials and said the following should be given priority (they added repair "should be coordinated with remediation activities so that active moisture sources are corrected before final clearance testing"):

• Hallway ceiling tiles
• Principal's office ceiling tiles
• Bathroom ceiling tiles
• Third-floor office ceiling tiles
• Areas affected by active plumbing leaks
• Areas affected by roof leakage
• Wet or damaged subfloor materials
• Saturated plaster/wall materials
• Ceiling cavities requiring access after tile removal

CBS 6 has asked RPS if they have addressed all the concerns raised in the report. In his twice-daily updates Kamras has mentioned facilities teams were addressing "secondary repairs," including roof and window leaks, floor moisture fixes, and ongoing HVAC maintenance.

"Addressing and preventing sources of moisture in the building has also been an ongoing effort, with a number of repairs already completed. Roof and plumbing pipe leaks have been repaired, and ceiling tiles affected by moisture have been replaced. RPS has also taken preventative measures to keep future leaks from occurring. These steps were outlined in Jason’s update earlier [Wednesday]," added an RPS spokesperson.

Watch: Richmond parents react to mold closing Obama Elementary

When asked about the report and its findings, Frank said while she feels many of the issues that led to the current situation could have been avoided, Obama parents are not going to let it slip through the cracks anymore.

"We're here, and we're going to stay here. We don't want to be in another building. We want to be at Barack Obama, and we want our issues taken care of in this building," Frank said.

CBS 6 is committed to sharing community voices on this important topic. Email your thoughts to the CBS 6 Newsroom.