Mike Lee, air quality expert for the Fort Worth school district, said teachers call every day worried about spots they find in their classrooms. The district tested air quality twice in 1994 and again in 1999 and 2000. Now, it is retesting 40 buildings that had mold and other problems. But none of the problems warranted shutting down buildings. There are at least 7,000 species of fungus, and 4,000 of them are black.
Household bleach kills most mold, but finding all of it is the key.
McBride said the more people look for mold, the more they will find it. If it is kept under control, it doesn't create a problem. It doesn't make sense to close entire buildings when small patches of mold are found, and no law requires buildings be shut down, he said. Instead, a public education campaign is needed. Prevention is key.