Dothan Brook students back in classrooms after mold remediation work

Michaela Eckler, center, greets her kindergarten students during morning meeting time in their classroom at Dothan Brook School in White River Junction, Vt., on Tuesday, Oct. 8, 2024. Eckler’s students returned to their homeroom on Friday after spending just over a month in a makeshift classroom set up in the school’s gymnasium while mold remediation was conducted in several first floor classrooms and office spaces. (Valley News - Alex Driehaus)

Michaela Eckler, center, greets her kindergarten students during morning meeting time in their classroom at Dothan Brook School in White River Junction, Vt., on Tuesday, Oct. 8, 2024. Eckler’s students returned to their homeroom on Friday after spending just over a month in a makeshift classroom set up in the school’s gymnasium while mold remediation was conducted in several first floor classrooms and office spaces. (Valley News - Alex Driehaus) Valley News photographs — Alex Driehaus

From left, kindergarteners Lane Schwarz, Jobi Hewston, Harrison Olivier and Bryce Isenor play together during morning choice time at Dothan Brook School in White River Junction, Vt., on Tuesday, Oct. 8, 2024. Dothan Brook parents are raising money to replace mold-damaged classroom supplies as the cost of remediation and repair, not covered by the school’s insurance, reaches six figures. (Valley News - Alex Driehaus)

From left, kindergarteners Lane Schwarz, Jobi Hewston, Harrison Olivier and Bryce Isenor play together during morning choice time at Dothan Brook School in White River Junction, Vt., on Tuesday, Oct. 8, 2024. Dothan Brook parents are raising money to replace mold-damaged classroom supplies as the cost of remediation and repair, not covered by the school’s insurance, reaches six figures. (Valley News - Alex Driehaus)

A first grade classroom is set up in the library at Dothan Brook School in White River Junction, Vt., on Tuesday, Oct. 8, 2024. The students are expected to be back in their first-floor classroom by the end of the week. (Valley News - Alex Driehaus)

A first grade classroom is set up in the library at Dothan Brook School in White River Junction, Vt., on Tuesday, Oct. 8, 2024. The students are expected to be back in their first-floor classroom by the end of the week. (Valley News - Alex Driehaus) Valley News – Alex Driehaus

By CHRISTINA DOLAN

Valley News Staff Writer

Published: 10-08-2024 5:31 PM

Modified: 10-09-2024 11:58 AM


WILDER — Dothan Brook School’s kindergarten and first-grade classrooms are back in operation this week after a month-long process to clean up mold discovered in parts of the building.

Meanwhile, the district is still sorting out how to pay for the cost of remediation as it is not covered by the district’s insurance policy, school officials said.

“Total costs are still coming in,” Building and Grounds Director Jonathan Garthwaite said by phone Monday. “By the time we put everything back together, it’s going to be a six-figure project.”

The district will bear the cost of the cleanup from its operational budget, and Garthwaite will be working with the district’s finance director to determine how to absorb the unanticipated expense, he said.

School officials delayed the beginning of the school year by two days for the school’s 70 kindergarten and first-graders after returning teachers found mold in their first-floor classrooms in late August.

After the initial delay, the school’s two kindergarten classes spent the first month of the school year in makeshift classrooms arranged in the school gym, while the first-graders relocated to the library and a vacant upstairs classroom.

“It’s disruptive, especially for kids with sensory stuff,” PTO Social Chair Kristin Halbe said Friday evening.

To determine the extent of the problem, the district hired Williston, Vt.-based Claypoint Associates, which conducted air sampling and made recommendations for remediation. LimeLite Restoration, based in Irasburg, Vt., has worked to clean and restore the impacted areas.

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There was no mold in the air ducts or heating units, but they were cleaned anyway, Dothan Brook Principal Rick Dustin-Eichler said Friday. Contractors and custodial staff removed rugs, ceiling tiles, books and supplies from the affected classrooms.

“We knew it was going to be a little bit of a long haul,” before things returned to normal, Dustin-Eichler said.

Staff also discovered mold in five office spaces and one intervention room, and are sharing space while those areas are cleaned.

The Hartford School District is insured by the Vermont School Board Insurance Trust, or VSBIT.

“Mold is almost always specifically excluded from insurance coverage,” VSBIT Director of Multi-Line Insurance David Pickel said by email Tuesday.

“Insurance is designed to cover unforeseen events such as fire, hail, vandalism and other perils,” he said. Since mold is not usually caused by a sudden event, it does not meet coverage criteria.

The building sits on a concrete slab, which allowed moisture to penetrate into the classrooms, Dustin-Eichler said Friday.

“All concrete breathes, so any building will have moisture intrusion,” Todd Hobson, owner of Claypoint Associates, said in an interview last month.

Dehumidifiers have been added to the first-floor classrooms to reduce moisture levels, and carpets have been replaced with resilient flooring.

“We’re using this event to think about how to manage our buildings better,” Garthwaite said.

None of the $21 million facilities voters approved in March to fund repairs and improvements to schools throughout the district will be used for the mold recovery process, because “the mandate for the bond is very specific,” Garthwaite said. Those funds are already allocated to other projects, including roof replacements, heating and ventilation system upgrades and new sidewalks and flooring.

In addition to flooring and ceiling tiles, the mold damaged toys, decorations and other classroom supplies, some of which were purchased or brought in by teachers, PTO President Amber Hewston said Friday.

Her organization decided to hold a fundraising dance to help replace those supplies. Dubbed the “Mold Ball,” the dance held Friday drew a crowd of kids and parents dressed in costume formal wear.

The school gym “was packed from beginning to end,” Dustin-Eichler said. “I was exhausted from all of the dancing.”

In the school lobby, a “giving tree” displayed tags labeled with items such as arts and craft supplies, floor cushions, dolls, speech therapy puppets and room decorations. Mold Ball participants could select an item and use a QR code to donate it to the school.

The items were from a “wish list” created by teachers and staff that totaled over $4,000 in classroom supplies.

The event raised just over $2,000 as of last weekend, Hewston said by email Tuesday.

“I suspect that teachers may discover additional needs as they are moving back into the classroom spaces,” she added.

Hewston’s son, Jobi, is a kindergartner at Dothan Brook who started his school year in the gym.

“He was very excited” to be in his classroom, she said.

Christina Dolan can be reached at cdolan@vnews.com or 603-727-3208.