Dear Parents, Students, and Staff:

Welcome back to the 2016-2017 school year! Our students are off to a great start and continue to make us proud of their accomplishments during and after school. Student achievements so far this year include competing in the Little League World Series Challenger Division, excelling in numerous athletic and extracurricular activities, and continuing their efforts to support various charitable causes, including Touchdowns for Cancer and the Louisiana Flood Relief. 

Unfortunately, the start of the year wasn’t without an unanticipated issue at Cedar Cliff High School. Following the identification of mold at Cedar Cliff last week, crews have worked to clean the affected areas. That work was completed on Saturday, and air samples will be taken early Tuesday morning. After consultation with our partners, it has been determined we can safely open school as scheduled on Tuesday. As an extra precaution, the West Shore Academy and office areas will remain sealed off until the results of the air sample testing are received. During that time, the office staff will be temporarily relocated to the Library, and West Shore Academy classes will be moved to other areas of the building.

As I indicated following the mold discovery at Cedar Cliff, we have been visually inspecting all District buildings for signs of water leaks, as well as pipes with condensation due to high humidity, and any other indicators that may suggest the presence of mold. As of late Friday afternoon, and based upon visual inspection only, Compliance Management International (CMI) identified some minor, isolated areas of mold growth. At Allen Middle School, CMI recommended an unused room in the basement be sealed off and addressed by an outside contractor. Fortunately, this area is not used and will not affect the general operation of the school, allowing it to be safely remediated without interruption to the normal schedule. Areas identified by CMI in other schools were addressed over the weekend by following the course of action they recommended for each case.

Late Friday afternoon, CMI finished collecting air samples from each building. We have not yet received their official test results; however, CMI did share that there were no atypical results from Fishing Creek and Newberry Elementary Schools. Additionally, based on one sample at Red Mill Elementary, they will be returning on Tuesday after school to determine if fungal growth is present. CMI has assured us there are no immediate concerns for further action at this time.

I know this situation has been an inconvenience for our families and I appreciate your support. I would also like to express my appreciation for the staff and contractors who have been working hard to address these issues quickly and effectively. Lastly, I want to acknowledge the Cedar Cliff staff, who despite not having students and not being in their normal setting, accomplished a significant amount of work during the past week. Teachers participated in professional development and curriculum writing, secretaries worked remotely, and support staff assisted classrooms and students in other buildings. Thank you! 

Please know we plan to continue working closely with the experts on this issue and will take all recommended actions as advised by them. If you have any questions or comments, please feel free to contact us.

We have not yet determined what impact, if any, the three lost days will have on Cedar Cliff students, but seniors should rest assured I do not anticipate any effect on their scheduled date for graduation.

I trust everyone had a safe and relaxing Labor Day weekend and look forward to the return of students tomorrow, Tuesday, September 6, 2016, cycle day 3.

Thank you.

Todd Stoltz, Superintendent of Schools