NJ students can’t return after building health hazard discovered

☑️ Mold was found in wood panels at a Freehold Township school

☑️ Laura Donovan Elementary students will attend different schools to start the year

☑️ Bus schedules will not be available until after Labor Day

FREEHOLD TOWNSHIP — Students at a Monmouth County elementary school will start the school year in different schools because of the cleanup of mold in classrooms found over the summer.

Schools Superintendent Neal Dickstein said a remediation company has been working seven days a week on cleanup at the Laura Donovan School but the work will not be done in time for the first day of school on Thursday.

Students and staff will be relocated to other elementary schools in the district so the work can continue.

"While we know this is disappointing for our Donovan families, the goals remain to keep students safe and to minimize disruption to the schedules of our families," Dickstein wrote. "We are fortunate that we can temporarily reorganize and reallocate classrooms to ensure the students begin the school year on time."

The work could take several months but Dickstein promised to keep parents updated on the progress of remediation.

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Combating misinformation

In a second letter to parents obtained by New Jersey 101.5,  Board of Education President Michael Amoroso addressed social media rumors and misinformation generated by the first letter that the mold issue was “covered up” by the district.

"That is completely false. Our custodial immediately informed our business office of the mold during the summer.  Our professional consultants are still working with engineers  to determine the cause of the mold," Amoroso's letter says. "Unfortunately there were far too many classrooms with wood panel ceilings that needed to be cleaned. Engineers on site are determining the best method for total removal and then this method will be used in all rooms."

Parents told News 12 they are concerned about the logistics of getting their kids to a new school on the bus and that they will not know until after Labor Day the bus schedule. They are also worried about the teacher-to-pupil ratio in the temporary classrooms.

A Google Form created by the district for parents to ask questions has been closed.

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