Overview
- Friendswood ISD announced Wednesday that it will delay the start of the school year at Westwood Elementary and postpone Kinder Camp while crews address elevated mold and moisture.
- The district hired a third-party environmental consultant in July and says air and surface tests showed elevated mold levels but did not identify black mold.
- An internal evaluation and remediation contractor found two root causes: the HVAC could not control indoor humidity and part of the HVAC system saturated sections of the roof deck, allowing moisture into the building.
- Officials say planned HVAC replacements and targeted roof work will be expanded, Texas General Contractors is leading remediation, there is no set reopening date, and the district will issue another update on Friday, Aug. 7.
- About 460 Westwood students face an uncertain first day and potential childcare disruptions while other Friendswood ISD campuses will open as scheduled on the district start date of Aug. 18.