He said closing the school was a voluntary decision, and that OSHA asked only that more testing be done. A meeting for parents of Jefferson Forest and Forest Middle students will be held at Forest Middle School Sunday at 3 p.m. The announcement that Jefferson Forest will close came a day after Blevins announced that the school would be closed next week while more tests were done to determine how many classrooms contained the fungus, called Stachybotrys. Brenda Edson, public relations coordinator for the school system, said Thursday that officials were investigating closing the school for the year and moving students to another location. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta, Stachybotrys is a greenish-black mold that can grow on wet wallboard and other building materials.
Side effects can include nasal stuffiness, eye irritation or wheezing.
Blevins said Thursday that the mold was linked to water damage from a roof leak. The roof was being replaced when the mold was discovered. He said mold was found in five rooms last week after testing by a Lynchburg environmental engineering company. Fourteen other rooms also showed a mild mold presence. Blevins announced Friday that May 16 will be the last day of school for Forest Middle School students.