JEFFERSON TWP — The mold issue at the South Butler School District is an issue no more.

The school board at its Wednesday night meeting heard Mike Kopar of PSI Intertek discuss the issues at the district and how they were remediated.

Kopar said the areas determined to be high in moisture were outfitted with dehumidifiers, and subsequent testing has confirmed that the mold spore levels in those areas have fallen.

The classrooms that were closed due to the presence of mold were reopened as well.

Kopar said many area school districts suffered the consequences of mold at the beginning of the school year due to the high humidity, particularly in the weeks before school opened.

He said any school's air conditioning system works better with students and activity in the building, which also was a factor in the elevated moisture content inside the schools.

While the water collected by the dehumidifiers must be emptied, which causes custodians to come in on weekends to do so, Kopar recommended putting lines on the units that would drain into a sink or other drain.

Rick Lapishka, district maintenance director, said he thinks the problem was due to work on the air conditioning unit that caused the system to be shut down for several weeks, plus a damper being stuck open in one of the schools that allowed damp outside air inside.

Superintendent David Foley recommended that area rugs be eliminated in the district. Area rugs are where mold was first found in the primary school as workers prepared the classrooms for the start of school.

Support contract

Also at the meeting, the school board voted to approve the contract with the district's support personnel.

Foley said the union membership approved the contract Aug. 29.

The nine-year contract will expire on June 30, 2023. The deal is retroactive to 2014.

The support personnel vote means the district has settled contracts with all three of its unions, which also includes the teachers and custodians unions.