8 / 29
8
One of the most stressful
times for me as an educator
has always been the beginning
of school. The first few days of
school often set the tone for
the remainder of the school
year. This was why we
became so concerned when
we learned that mold in our
elementary school would force
us to make some tough
decisions about the first days
of school.
July was hot, wet, and
generally miserable. We had
a large-scale project at our elementary building that
involved the replacement of a boiler system and a
new roof. Unfortunately, without adequate
temperature and humidity control, the perfect
conditions emerged for mold growth in the building.
Though we had a few weeks to eradicate the issue, it
became clear that the level of work associated would
not be completed prior to our first day of school. We
were confident that we could solve the problem to
ensure student and staff safety, but the tone at the
beginning of the year was most definitely in question.
The Mold Issue
It became clear that in order to start school on
time, we were going to need to displace 350
elementary students for the first weeks of school.
How would parents react if they knew that the
elementary school failed air quality tests? Should we
explain to our community that the building is filled
with mold? How can we convince our staff that
absorbing our youngest students into the high school
and middle school buildings was a good idea?
Finally, how do we give back the “first day of school
moment” for our Pre-K and kindergarten parents
while ensuring their child’s safety and well being in a
high school setting?
I was tormented by thoughts of a kindergartener
walking past a stereotypical group of high school
By Dr. David M.
Mouser
Superintendent,
Tri-Valley CUSD 3
Making lemonade (out of mold):
Creating a positive narrative in times of inconvenience