JEFFERSON TWP — More details were revealed at Wednesday's school board meeting on the lengths the South Butler School District administrators have gone regarding mold in district buildings.

In a presentation to the board, Superintendent David Foley said the district has spent $33,000 detecting and remediating mold, which can cause an allergic reaction in some people.

“I would say that's money well spent,” he said.

Foley said the district scrubbed carpets and bought 30 dehumidifiers for various areas where mold was originally found last fall.

Mold experts told the district that the humidity and rain in the late summer and early fall were the main reason the mold grew on various surfaces throughout the district's buildings.

Students were removed from classrooms where the mold count was elevated, and returned once steps were taken to get the readings down.

A teacher asked the district to check a ceiling tile for mold, as she felt the allergies she had been experiencing stemmed from her classroom.

An elevated count was discovered in the void between the drop ceiling tile and roof, so a total of 40 rooms were tested.

When elevated counts were discovered, the ceilings were replaced with mold-resistant tile and various areas were painted with a mold-resistant surface coating.

The rooms were also disinfected before desks and furniture were returned.

“The numbers were back to normal,” Foley said of the treated rooms.

He is considering asking an expert in heating, ventilation and air conditioning to visit the district and review the entire system as it relates to the growth of mold.

Mike Kopar of PSI Intertek, which performed the 139 mold tests in the district, said the moisture and heat just before the start of the school year was the main cause of the district's mold problem.

“There were mold issues throughout Western Pennsylvania, and South Butler was no exception,” Kopar told the board.

He said the type of mold found in the district was not dangerous, but it can cause reactions in those with allergies to the spores.

Kopar, who has worked with other area districts that have discovered mold, praised South Butler for its immediate actions in testing for mold, removing it and taking steps to prevent it from returning.

“I applaud you for being proactive,” Kopar said.

He agreed with Foley that an HVAC professional should review the district's HVAC system.