An elementary school in Prince George's County, Maryland, will be shuttered when the new school year starts due to concerns about air quality and mold, the school district confirmed to News4.
District Heights Elementary School will be closed for the entire school year, and buses will take students to nearby Forestvill High School, the school district said.
Crews will work during the closure to remove mold inside the school and install a new air conditioning system, officials said.
In March 2017, parents raised concerns about the school's air quality and said there was mold at the school.
Parent Phyllis Wright told News4 at the time that she kept her two daughters home from school because she believed there was mold at the school.
"I'm hurt not only for my children. I'm hurt for the 500 other children that goes there," Wright said.
She said she had complained to the school after she volunteered at the school and overheard two teachers talking about the mold.
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Prince George's County Public Schools officials sent a letter home to parents at the time and said that they would work to improve the air quality.
Most areas tested at the school were clear of mold except for a classroom where tests showed mold levels were higher than outside, officials said last spring. But 24 ventilation fans on the school's campus were not working properly and required repairs. Officials, however, insisted that the school was safe for students and teachers.
