Jacksonville, Arkansas – Jacksonville Elementary School will remain closed for the week after environmental testing found elevated mold levels in several areas of the campus, according to district officials.
The closure was announced Monday as school leaders informed parents about the indoor air quality issue. Officials said testing identified elevated mold levels in Classroom 102, the media center and the nurse’s office.
“We want to make you aware of an indoor air quality concern at Jacksonville Elementary School,” the letter said. “District leaders have made the decision to close the school building for five days after environmental testing detected elevated mold levels in Classroom 102, the Media Center, and the Nurse’s office.”
The district said the decision to close the building is intended to allow professionals to address the problem while students and staff are away from the campus. During the five-day closure, the school will undergo professional cleaning.
The temporary shutdown also means the district has had to make alternate arrangements for students who still need to attend classes during the closure. Students who require a school setting from Wednesday through Friday will be moved to Jacksonville High School.
Those students will use the high school’s arena and auxiliary gym areas. District officials said elementary students will remain separate from Jacksonville High School students while they are being housed at the campus.
The arrangement is intended to provide students with a place to continue their education while the elementary school building is being cleaned. The district did not indicate that the elementary students would be integrated into regular high school classes.
Jacksonville Elementary students enrolled in Life Skills programs will have a different temporary location. Those students will be relocated to Murrell Taylor Elementary, where they can continue receiving the additional services and support they normally receive.
The district’s plans are expected to remain in place through the end of the school week as crews work to complete the cleaning process. Officials said the elementary school is scheduled to reopen Monday, August 24, but that reopening depends on confirmation that the work has been completed.
The mold discovery comes as schools are beginning the academic year, making the temporary closure an unexpected disruption for students, families and staff. Parents now have to adjust to temporary locations and new arrangements while officials work to resolve the indoor air quality concern.
For most Jacksonville Elementary students, the immediate plan is for the school building to remain empty for five days while professional cleaning takes place. Students who must attend classes during that period will be accommodated at other district facilities.
Officials have not announced any additional details about the source of the elevated mold levels. For now, the district is focused on cleaning the affected school and determining whether the building is ready for students and staff to return.
If the cleaning is completed and the building receives the necessary confirmation, Jacksonville Elementary is expected to reopen on August 24. Until then, the temporary arrangements will remain in effect as the district works to address the mold issue and maintain educational services for students.
