Elementary school in New Jersey shut down due to mold - CBS New York

By Zinnia Maldonado

October 29, 2024 / 6:20 PM EDT / CBS New York

UNION, N.J. - Students and staff have been displaced from their New Jersey elementary school after the discovery of mold shut their school building down.

Parents are frustrated after students at Hannah Caldwell Elementary School are now out of a classroom just two months into the new school year.

Parents were told last Thursday the school would be shutting down due to mold throughout the building, including the library and certain classrooms.

Superintendent Dr. Gerry Benaquista said students will have field days this week, then temporarily be relocated to other schools in the district Monday.

"We are now in the process of testing the entire school," Benaquista said."I know I've talked to students, and they really are looking forward to coming back again. It might not look identical to what they had before, but we're going to make every environment the best it could be."

The district says it does not have a timeline yet regarding when students will be back inside the building, because that it is dependent on test results.

Parents say mold issues in the building have been a cause of concern in the past, and should have been addressed before the new school year.

"It's a school. There's children. There should be tests happening every year to make sure that the air is safe to breathe," parent Liliana Almeida said. "At this point in time, the parents are not looking to point fingers as to whose fault it is. We're looking to get help and a solution for our kids as soon as possible. The blame can come later."

Parent Matt Chase says they were told students would be returning Wednesday on a half-day schedule.

"We're beginning to spiral, and it's like we have to press these people and understand the urgency, because it's not just the kids' education, which is very important too. It's the health, all the people that were in the building for years," Chase said.

"I'm trying to be a reasonable parent in this. I'm in a situation where I am not getting a lot of information," another parent said.

Zinnia Maldonado joins the CBS News New York team from CBS Boston. While there, she had the opportunity to cover an array of national and breaking news stories such as the Boston Marathon, the Harmony Montgomery disappearance and the Celtics' journey to the NBA Finals.

UNION, N.J.