It has been a good week for student safety in the South Butler School District. Last week, we agreed with the district’s assessment that all of its schools needed metal detectors and other safety measures in the wake of two recently perceived threats to student safety.

Although it didn’t draw as much attention as the arrest of a Knoch High School student after a video was posted of him shooting an AK-style weapon with the caption “Training for prom walk,” the school district also recently discussed its ongoing mold remediation efforts.

According to Superintendent David Foley, the district has spent about $33,000 on detecting and remediating mold in district school buildings. We agree with his assertion at a recent board meeting that this was “money well spent.”

Last fall, mold infested various spots in South Butler school buildings, a likely consequence of record summer rains and lingering humidity. Although the types of mold discovered were not deemed dangerous, students were removed from the classrooms where the mold count was elevated. Exposure to damp or moldy environments can cause a variety of health effects in students — including nasal congestion, throat irritation, coughing or wheezing and skin or eye irritation, according to the Centers for Disease Control. People who are allergic to mold might have even more severe reactions, including serious lung infections.

Foley said that the district has since scrubbed carpets and brought in dozens of dehumidifiers for areas where mold was found. Additionally, the school brought in consulting and testing firm PSI Intertek, which performed 139 mold tests in the district, and is taking steps to prevent the mold from returning. Both PSI Intertek and the superintendent agreed that the district’s heating, ventilation and air conditioning system should be reviewed.

Safety issues aside, students face numerous distractions from their studies in our modern, fast paced world, so anything that can be done to alleviate roadblocks to their education is a good thing. It’s hard for a student to learn when they’re too busy scratching their skin or engaging in a coughing fit.

We believe that preventive medicine is often the best way to handle a problem, so we encourage the South Butler School District to regularly check its classrooms for mold — especially after long bouts of damp or humid weather — and to stay proactive in its remediation efforts.