Hillsborough spends $342K to remove mold from high school

Mold was spotted at the start of school.

Hillsborough High School (File photo)

HILLSBOROUGH -- The township's school district has spent $342,000 to remove mold discovered at Hillsborough High School, School Business Administrator Aiman Mahmoud said Wednesday.

At the beginning of the school year, 11 rooms in the high school were found to have mold, including seven classrooms, two teacher work rooms, the video-conference room in the library and the auditorium, said high school Principal Karen Bingert in a letter to parents.

Currently, eight rooms, including the video-conference room, have been cleaned and reopened, Bingert said.

The two teacher work rooms remain closed and the auditorium is having its carpet replaced and a large-scale air scrubbing and dehumidification is being done, the principal said.

Hillsborough High School 2016 graduation

"Let me once again assure you that we are taking this very, very seriously and proceeding with the utmost caution and prudence," Bingert said.

The entire school is being tested for mold, she said.

Mahmoud said the intense summer heat may have caused the mold. The district and its consultant, R.K. Occupational and Environmental Analysis of Phillipsburg, are further studying possible reasons for the mold, he said.

Mahmoud said the district is working with its insurance carrier and has filed a claim to recoup the money. Hillsborough, with 7,100 students, has a $122 million budget.