Brookside Junior High clean up to cost “tens of thousands of dollars”

WATCH ABOVE: Some kids in the Halifax area are still waiting for their schools to open, and as Global’s Natasha Pace explains, this summers humid weather is likely to blame.

HACHET LAKE, N.S. — The clean up continues at Brookside Junior High School in Hatchet Lake, N.S.

Environmental companies have been at the school for the last two weeks working to get the building ready for staff and the 330 students that attend the school.

“We have to put the resources there to get it done because we just can’t have school not starting for students, we need to get them back,” said Doug Hadley, Halifax Regional School Board.

When staff returned from the summer break they found mould through the first and second floors of the building. The mould is clearly visible on everything from the floor to the ceiling tiles and even the furniture.

With the cleanup still underway, the school board told parents last week they would be relocating students to other schools in the municipality, but have now decided against it.

“After a lot of study, we made the determination that we aren’t going to be able to do that without affecting other schools start and stop times,” Hadley said.

“It just becomes so complicated that our focus should be on getting the school ready and getting students back.”

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Officials believe the mould was caused by the high humidity levels in the month of August. It’s expected to cost the board thousands of dollars to clean up.

“It’s probably going to be something that we’re gonna have to fully front the bill. It’s probably not going to be something that we’re going to be able to turn over to insurance, so I expect it’s going to be in the tens of thousands of dollars when we’re done with it,” Hadley said.