Parents outraged after mold discovery at Poway middle school kept secret

The Poway Unified School District disclosed on August 22 that Black Mountain Middle School had discovered mold in over a dozen classrooms ahead of the new term, a notice that arrived ten days after students resumed classes. Initial cleaning on August 10 removed visible debris, but a lingering musty odor prompted further action, including teachers using N95 respirators. Preliminary testing identified eight classrooms with low, two with moderate and four with high mold spore counts, though results are not final.

District spokesperson Josué Reyna said additional remediation, such as carpet cleaning, antimicrobial surface wipes, air-register cleaning and HVAC filter replacement, was completed over the weekend. The district is reviewing the carpet-cleaning process that may have contributed to the problem. This follows a recent mold-related delay at Del Sur Elementary, where the start of the year was postponed by a week and students were temporarily relocated.