Beecher Officials Address Mildew Discovery in Elementary School Classrooms

Article Summary: Beecher School District officials have launched a comprehensive remediation effort after mildew was discovered in several first and second-grade classrooms at Beecher Elementary School last week. Superintendent Dr. Jack Gaham attributed the issue to a lack of air circulation in the freshly waxed rooms and has since deployed cleaning crews, dehumidifiers, and air purifiers while awaiting results from an independent environmental testing firm.

Beecher Elementary School Key Points:

• Mildew was found on surfaces in classrooms within the first and second-grade hallway last week.

• The cause was identified as poor ventilation after summer floor waxing, with closed doors trapping moisture in the rooms.

• The district has conducted a deep cleaning of the affected areas and installed dehumidifiers and air purifiers in every room.

• An environmental firm, Ideal, conducted air quality and moisture tests on Wednesday, with expedited results expected by Friday or Monday.

BEECHER, IL – Beecher School District 200-U officials are taking action to address a mildew outbreak discovered last week in a hallway at Beecher Elementary School, assuring the public that extensive cleaning and testing measures are underway before students return to class.

During the Board of Education meeting Wednesday, Superintendent Dr. Jack Gaham provided a detailed account of the situation, which he said was confined to the first and second-grade hallway. He attributed the cause to a combination of high humidity and a lack of ventilation.

“It happens when you have moisture in an area that basically has a lack of ventilation and a lack of circulation,” Gaham explained. He said the problem occurred after custodial crews completed summer floor waxing. The classroom doors were then closed and the lights turned off, allowing humid air to remain stagnant.

After the mildew was found, maintenance staff performed an initial cleaning with a bleach solution. When remnants were still visible on Wednesday, Gaham said the district’s “A++ crew” of custodians was brought in to conduct a more thorough cleaning over three days.

“They tore everything off of shelves. They emptied every desk. They cleared every surface,” Gaham said, noting they went through six gallons of bleach water.

In addition to the deep cleaning, the district has placed a dehumidifier, an air purifier, and at least one fan in every affected classroom to ensure constant air movement.

To verify the building’s safety, the district hired Ideal, an environmental testing company, to conduct a professional assessment on Wednesday. The firm took air samples and performed humidity tests on the walls. Gaham reported that the humidity levels in the walls were all within the normal range, indicating no underlying roof or plumbing leaks.

“He said, ‘In your unofficial opinion, do we have a concern?’ He said, ‘No,’” Gaham recounted of his conversation with the environmental specialist. “He goes, ‘You have dehumidifiers, you have purifiers, you have everything you need to have to take care of and handle this as it should be handled.’”

Gaham has requested expedited results from the tests, which should be available by Friday, August 15, or Monday, August 18. He pledged to post the full results on the district’s website as soon as they are received.

To prevent a recurrence, Gaham said classroom doors will not be left closed for extended periods after cleaning, and dehumidifiers will now be a permanent fixture in the rooms.