As students and families prepare for the start of the 2026-27 school year on Wednesday, USD 253 continues preparing facilities for their return.
This includes ongoing efforts to resolve a mold issue that developed in several district facilities in recent weeks. According to USD 253 Assistant Superintendent of Business and Operations Josh Swartz, the issue was first reported in late July; however, he says indications are it may have begun much earlier in the month, with the first report originating at Timmerman Elementary School.
The district notified families of the issue just this past week, prompting KVOE News, during an interview with Swartz, to ask why there was a delay in notification. Swartz says the answer was twofold: first, they wanted a clear idea of how significant the issue was and wanted to limit the number of updates needed, saying they had hoped to have the issue fully resolved before the start of the year.
According to Swartz, five district facilities were impacted by the issue, including Timmerman, the Jones Early Childhood Center, Emporia High School, Village Elementary School and William Allen White Elementary, with Jones experiencing “the most issues currently.”
As for other facilities, Swartz says EHS was seeing issues near the locker rooms in the gym area while Village had evidence of mold in its kitchens. KVOE News then asked if the situation specifically at Village would impact any food services at the school, to which he stated it would not, as the district had all areas thoroughly cleaned and sanitized once the issue was discovered.
Swartz says the district’s plan at this time is to remain vigilant and continue cleaning any areas that may be showing signs of mold development before a full project to reduce the humidity issues, believed to be the root cause of the situation, is developed for next summer. Swartz anticipates the early months of the upcoming school year will be the most difficult to manage due to the high temperatures and humidity levels.
However, he says the issue should become less persistent once we move into the later half of the year.
For questions or more information, visit USD253.org or contact the district offices by calling 620-341-2200.
