DALTON, Mass. — The Central Berkshire Regional School District is investigating what has caused penicillium, a type of mold, to grow on the walls of Wahconah Regional High School's auditorium.
The district filed a claim with its insurance company and anticipated the mold would be completely remediated by the weekend. However, the auditorium will remain closed until the investigation into why the mold grew is complete, Superintendent Leslie Blake-Davis said.
The mold was discovered by a staff member the week before and reported by the school's Principal Aaron Robb.
The mold was "in different places" in the auditorium, but anyone would have to have been "pretty observant" to see it," said Blake-Davis. "It's not something that, if you just walked in, you would see right away."
The school closed off that section of the building and shut down the auditorium's heating, ventilation, and air conditioning system to contain the mold, she said.
"Right now, we're confident that it's a safe building. We're not sending anyone into that room. We're confident we can get to the bottom of it," she continued.
"Nobody really has a solid why. I think most likely there are a number of reasons why."
Testing has been done throughout the building to ensure the mold has not spread to other areas. It appears not to have but there will be continued testing, the superintendent said.
Penicillium is a common household mold often found in cheesemaking and as the basis for penicillin. The district is coordinating with the project owner's manager of the school project to find the root cause of the mold growth.
They are examining several things that could have contributed to the growth, including the HVAC system, the siding used in the auditorium, the room's humidity, and other factors.
School Committee member Ellen Lattizzori asked whether there is a risk to students with an allergy to penicillin since the mold is found in that antibiotic.
Blake-Davis said there should not be a risk to students because the area has been restricted, and testing shows it has been contained in the auditorium.
However, parents and families have been notified of the mold, and continued testing will be done in multiple areas of the building.
