Maine Middle School Suddenly Shuts Down Over 'Safety Issues'

A Maine middle school has abruptly shut down for the foreseeable future sighting concerns for student and staff safety.

According to an article from WGME 13, the Mountain Valley Middle School in Mexico has shut down. Following an air quality test that was performed by an industrial hygienist, it has been determined that the air quality is not safe for human exposure.

Yesterday, a message was sent to staff and parents regarding the closure from the RSU 10 Superintendent, Deb Allen. In her letter, Deb explained to folks that the mold spore test that was conducted found mold in the air and on some classroom items as well.

This all comes following multiple complaints that were made by some parents to the Mexico health officer about their children unexpectedly coming down with pneumonia. The Superintendent included that ‘bacterial pneumonia’ can be extremely contagious and said that this could be the reason so many kids had become ill. However, fungal pneumonia, caused by mold, could also have been the culprit.

WGME went on to explain that the school is closed until Friday at which time students may come pick up their belongings. In the meantime, remote learning will begin for students on October, 15th.

A new school is currently under construction, however, it won’t be complete for at least a year.

The following is a part of the letter that was sent to parents and faculty from Superintendent, Deb Alden,

Dear MVMS Staff, Parents, and Families, This is not a letter I have ever wanted to write.

However, it is necessary in our quest to be transparent and have honest and upfront communication with all of you in the most timely fashion possible. After meeting this afternoon with Mark Coleman, the Senior Industrial Hygienist from Sevee & Maher Engineers, regarding the latest air quality testing and follow up in MVMS yesterday, it is apparent that most of the building is no longer a healthy place to work and learn in.

There are a few areas that we may be able to utilize and are further being reviewed by Mark. In the meantime, we will not be using the school for students.