A few days before the start to the academic school year, New Jersey families learned that a persistent mold issue at their child's elementary school would not be solved in time for the first day of school.
Laura Donovan Elementary in Freehold was scheduled to open doors and welcome students back from summer break on Sept. 5, but mold found by custodial staff over the summer could take months to remove, district administrators announced in a letter to parents last week.
Students at the elementary school will still start school this week, but they will be reassigned to different elementary schools in the district until Laura Donovan has been cleared of mold.
"It is anticipated that these alternate arrangements may last several months," Neil Dickstein, superintendent of Freehold Township School District.
Laura Donovan students will be divided among the other elementary schools based on grade level:
- Kindergarteners will attend C. Richard Applegate Elementary.
- First and second graders will attend Marshall W. Errickson Elementary.
- Third and fourth graders will attend West Freehold Elementary.
- Fifth graders will attend Joseph J. Catena Elementary.
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The remediation company tasked with cleaning the school has been on the premises seven days a week, but Dickstein says the source of the mold is still under investigation.
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"While students will be physically located at other schools, they will attend school on the regular Donovan time schedule," he wrote to parents.
Wendy Geiger and her sons were outside Laura Donovan Elementary School last week where her son, Jonathan, was set to start third grade this week.
"We were lucky the child study team took us for a little tour of the school so we see what the classroom is like and on the first day maybe it won't be as overwhelming," she said.
TJ Hughes has a daughter going into first grade, so she'll be Marshall Errickson for a few months.
"She's a little confused, a little nervous. She's starting a new school to begin with, now the situation is a little different," Hughes said. "But she'll adapt.
The school district said it will provide buses to pick students up and transport them to their temporary schools. Bus assignments will be published in the online portal for parents.
