JEFFERSON TWP — Additional mold issues at Knoch High School that are being remediated will be the topic of a presentation next Wednesday by Rick Lapishka, district maintenance director.

David Foley, South Butler School District superintendent, said at Wednesday night's school board meeting that Lapishka will discuss the district's actions on ceiling mold found at the high school, plus mold-related actions in other buildings.

The presentation will be given at 7 p.m. at the school board meeting in the middle school library.

Foley said a teacher at the high school asked the administration to check her classroom for mold “for reassurance.”

He said it was discovered that mold readings in the ceiling tile in certain parts of the building were elevated.

Mold experts from PSI Intertek, Foley said, have isolated the problem and district personnel are working to eliminate it.

“(PSI Intertek) believes the humid, moist air from the fall — a lot of that air was absorbed by the ceiling tile and that ceiling tile is harboring mold,” Foley told the board.

He stressed that the type of mold found is not harmful, but can cause reactions in staff and students who are allergic.

He said teachers and students were immediately moved out of the few classrooms affected.

The ceiling tile in four classrooms where elevated numbers were recorded were removed and replaced last week, Foley said. The rooms and any carpets inside were cleaned and disinfected after the old tiles were removed.

“Today, four teachers moved back into their rooms,” Foley said.

District workers will repeat that process this weekend in three more classrooms, he said.

He said testing will continue as needed.

“We're going to keep on it,” Foley said.

He said teachers were apprised of the situation and cleanup at a staff meeting on Monday.

Mold was first found just before the start of the school year in area rugs.

Dehumidifiers were set up in September and the rugs were removed before students moved back into the affected rooms.

Experts from PSI Intertek said at the time that many districts were suffering the effects of a wet fall, which led to the presence of mold.