Parents demand answers about mold in Monessen middle-high school before students return

Parents in the Monessen City School District raised concerns with the school board Monday night, 24 hours after a KDKA investigation aired where a whistleblower revealed mold, moisture and structural problems inside the middle-high school. 

"Are we going to continue to go on with saying we're going back to school on the 16th and there's still issues going on in the school? Big issues!" a parent asked during the meeting.

The district announced last week that middle-high school students would return to class on Nov. 16 after learning remotely for the first nine weeks due to mold. 

To begin the meeting, superintendent Dr. Robert Motte read a prepared statement to those in attendance.

"I want to share an update on the extensive work completed during the building's nine-week closure and address the concerns raised by recent news coverage," Motte said. "Throughout this process, our priority has been to identify and address moisture and mold concerns, evaluate building conditions and prepare the school for the safe return of our students and staff. We have taken these concerns seriously, and we have not ignored reports of mold in our building."

Motte said the district had air quality and moisture testing completed by Corwin Inspections and Hayes Microbial Consulting. He said the district also addressed areas of concern with mold-control products and made repairs to leaking plumbing.

"I recognize that recent news coverage, which relied heavily on photographs taken before remediation began, has understandably raised questions among families and members of our community. I want to ensure parents have the most current and accurate information about the work completed and the building's condition today," Motte said.

"The district has received the findings of its building moisture assessment, including testing conducted as recently as Friday, Nov. 6. The assessment indicates that moisture-meter readings in the drywall fall within or below the 5%-12% range generally considered acceptable under normal indoor humidity conditions. These findings are considered acceptable under normal indoor humidity conditions. These findings are encouraging and provide additional support for our confidence in the building's readiness," Motte said.

Motte went on to say that air quality tests in the bathrooms and common areas, alongside moisture testing in all classrooms, "has reached conditions that allow the school to make the decision to resume in-school teaching."

During public comment, many parents raised concerns about who the district hired to do the work.

"I want to know why we should trust when you say it's safe that it's safe when you hired a company that didn't even have specialization in mold remediation," a parent said.

Others brought up additional findings from KDKA's investigation, noting structural problems inside the building.

"There's a beam. It was all over the news. You lied. You sat there and pretended like you didn't know," a parent said. "You told the reporter, 'good eye,' like you didn't know it was there. Is it still there or are you waiting for it to fall on a staff member or student?"

Other parents raised concerns about the safety of the elementary school. KDKA Investigates found mold inside the elementary school that dates back to over 20 years ago. 

One mother spoke out to inform the board that her 6-year-old son has been sick since the start of school.

"He's had a persistent cough. Got pneumonia and uses an inhaler daily since he's returned back to school," the mom said.

"This can create more issues for them and nobody's even taking accountability for it and it's pretty jacked up," another parent said.

Parents expressed to the board that they want answers, but board members made no remarks in response beyond thanking them for their comments.

"As adults, we expect somebody to be accountable for these big decisions, and to watch it happen to me in plain sight and know that nobody's taking accountability for none of it, I'm like, my mind is blown," said Stephanie Santoro, a new parent at the district.

KDKA-TV asked Motte for an interview after the meeting. He denied it and referred us to his prepared statement.

KDKA-TV talked to a board member who also referred us to the prepared statement. He went on to say he commended their former building and maintenance supervisor, who recently resigned, for his work. The board member claimed the former employee never told the board that the schools should be condemned.

During KDKA's investigation, former employee Ed Szmed said that he had reported numerous problems inside the school to the administration from the time he took the job six months ago but claimed it fell on deaf ears.

At the end of Motte's statement, he said, "I understand that parents and guardians want clear, reliable information about the environment in which their children learn. That is not only understandable; it is something we owe you. As superintendent, I am committed to transparency throughout this process. We will continue to communicate openly about the assessment findings, the work completed, and any additional measures that may be necessary. Our responsibility is not simply to reopen the building, but to do so thoughtfully and responsibly, with the confidence that comes from careful evaluation and a commitment to addressing concerns as they arise," Motte said.

KDKA-TV asked Motte for the official moisture and air quality results that were completed by Corwin Inspections and Hayes Microbial Consulting. We have not heard back.