District leaders to watch mold closely at Wilmington school over the holidays

The Christina School District will use the Thanksgiving and winter holiday breaks wisely this year by taking a closer look at some past issues at a Wilmington elementary school.

Over the summer, an area water main break near Pulaski Elementary School posed a health problem when mold was detected in a few classrooms. The Delaware Department of Health stepped in early on to make sure students weren’t affected. In an effort to stay proactive, officials believe the best thing to do right now is to continue its inspection and remediation plan to ensure mold doesn’t return.

“We are taking this opportunity with the students and staff out of the buildings during the holidays to continue our new approach to identifying potential issues before they become real problems,” said Christina Acting Superintendent Dr. Robert Andrzejewski. “We truly appreciate the support we have received from our city and state legislators on this matter.”

Wilmington Councilwoman Sherry Dorsey Walker, D-6th District, first raised questions this summer about whether or not students should be relocated to another school. Senator Bob Marshall has also been actively involved with the district since the mold problem developed between August-October.

“Under Dr. Andrzejewski’s leadership, the Christina School District has undertaken a more proactive strategy for addressing potential health issues that occur in school buildings, which will help ensure that our students and school staff are learning and working in healthy environments,” Senator Marshall said.

To date, the mold situation at Pulaski has been under control. In October, district officials along with maintenance staff developed a plan to strengthen guidelines for addressing issues such as mold, mildew, pest control, and other health-related concerns in schools.