JEFFERSON TWP — The results of mold testing in 48 areas in four schools in the South Butler School District should arrive any day.

Superintendent David Foley said at the Wednesday night school board meeting that he will share the results with the board members as soon as he gets them.

Foley also will post the results on the district's website for community perusal. “Certainly we're concerned about it,” Foley said. The situation has not interrupted classes.

Mold was found on area rugs in three classrooms at the primary school, and a classroom at the high school tested above acceptable levels for mold spores.

The school board on Wednesday voted unanimously to hire Intertek PSI of Pittsburgh to evaluate the mold situation at a cost of $5,330. The company has already been taking test samples.

The district may incur an additional cost of $1,200 for any remediation required. Some extra cost may come from any specific testing recommended by Intertek.

Foley said South Butler may consider eliminating carpeting in all classrooms. He also said the staff will check the classrooms earlier next summer to ensure all facilities are ready to go by the first day of school.

The district replaced a cooling tower over the summer, which meant the air conditioning system sat idle for about six weeks during an extra-humid summer, Foley said.

“We had some unique challenges that we didn't normally have,” he said.

Foley said the district has placed 11 dehumidifiers at the areas thought to have the highest moisture content.

“We are following the Intertek recommendations,” he said.

Board member George Zacherl had a suggestion for Foley.

“Maybe we should be taking a deeper look at the overall HVAC system to make sure they're working properly,” Zacherl said.

Foley said the district's architectural contractor, The Foreman Group, has a specialist on staff who has expertise in that area.

“They can evaluate how efficiently or inefficiently the system is,” he said.

While hiring the specialist to evaluate the HVAC system may cost money up front, Foley said the district would likely save money in the long run on heating and cooling costs.