August 17, 2018

Dear Parents/Guardians,
The purpose of this letter is to let you know of a concern that was brought to our attention
earlier this week. As you may be aware, mold has been discovered in the lower level of Eastern
York Middle School (EYMS). The concern was reported on Monday, August 13th at
approximately 10:00 a.m. ​At that time, the affected area was isolated and school administrators
directed all employees to leave the building.
Paul Davis Emergency Service, a restoration company, was contacted and asked to
provide assistance in remediating the issue. A Team Leader from Paul Davis arrived on site at
approximately 11:00 a.m. and reviewed the lower level classroom areas and discussed possible
remediation methods. Upon authorization, a team of technicians from Paul Davis was dispatched
to the school to begin the process of drying out the rooms and getting humidity levels under
control. At this point, the humidity levels have been brought down from 80% to 50% which is
operating at a normal acceptable range.

Aether Assessments, an indoor environmental consulting firm, was contacted to serve as

a third party testing company. Aether Assessment conducted current and post air quality testing
and provided the protocol that Paul Davis will follow to remediate the mold growth and clean the
rooms. Subsequently, air quality tests have been performed on all other district buildings. As of
the writing of this letter, those test results have not been returned.The District will address any
additional mold concerns should they arise.
I apologize for the short notice, but we have confirmed the need to delay the start of the
school year in order to allow the District to bring in professionals to clean the building and
ventilation systems prior to accepting staff and students. EYMS will need to remain closed for an
extended period of time to complete the restoration and re-insulate the pipes. While we are
unsure of the length of the closure, the district anticipates it to be at least three weeks, with a
maximum closure of six weeks.
The projected first day of school for all EYSD students is now scheduled for Monday, August
27, 2018.​ ​Should conditions necessitate a further delay, that information will be communicated
to you.
In addition to the delayed beginning of the school year for all students, The District has
also developed a plan for students from the middle school grades to receive their education in
other school buildings in the district until the restoration at EYMS is complete. This approach
will permit our students to start the school year without further delay and to be educated in
appropriate sized classrooms in our existing buildings. EYMS student building assignments are
as follows:

E.Y.S.D. follows a policy of nondiscrimination.

Grade 6 students: Canadochly Elementary School
Grade 7 students: Wrightsville Elementary School
Grade 8 students: Eastern York High School
In addition, transportation will be impacted temporarily as a result of these changes in
building assignments. Each morning, Grade 6 and Grade 7 students will be transported from
their home bus stop to Eastern York High School (EYHS), then transported from EYHS to either
Canadochly or Wrightsville Elementary School. Grade 8 students will be transported from their
home bus stop to EYHS where they will enter the school and report to the cafeteria for breakfast
or go directly to their assigned classroom.
At the end of the school day, Grade 6 and Grade 7 students will be dismissed at
approximately 2:05 p.m., and be transported by bus to EYHS where they will then ride their
assigned bus home.
To review this temporary plan in more detail, we are inviting parents to attend an evening
presentation at the building where your child or children will attend school until the middle
school reopens.
Grade 6 Tuesday, August 21 6:00 p.m. Canadochly Elementary School
Grade 7 Wednesday, August 22 6:00 p.m. Wrightsville Elementary School
Grade 8 Thursday, August 23 6:00 p.m. Eastern York High School
I want to assure you that the District is working diligently to remediate the situation and
open EYMS as soon as possible. Please continue to monitor the district website, twitter,
Facebook, Sky alerts, and mailings home for updated information regarding the start of school.
Representatives from Paul Davis Restoration have stated, mold is pretty common in
homes and commercial buildings. The company adds that it's especially tough to control in big
buildings like schools. During the summertime, when we approach consistently high levels of
humidity, along with record amounts of rainfall this summer, it's really difficult to keep an exact
balance with the HVAC system so you don't get conditions where you get condensation and
other conditions conducive to mold growth.
Thank you for your understanding as we work together for the safety of our students and
staff.
Sincerely,

Joseph W. Mancuso III, Ed.D

Superintendent

E.Y.S.D. follows a policy of nondiscrimination.