OTISFIELD — School Superintendent Rick Colpitts said the Otisfield Elementary School remains safe for occupancy, but an ongoing moisture problem in the walls may mean more drastic action to resolve what is assumed to be a mold problem.

“We know we have a problem with mold in the wall,” Colpitts said. “We want to make sure it stays in the wall, and we don’t expose it to air.”

Testing in the school during the summer showed samples taken of mold between the Sheetrock and the exterior wall. “So it has to be assumed that mold is in all the walls,” Colpitts said. “Mitigation will occur sometime in the future and may involve removing walls.”

The tests also showed the spore count indicated the inside air was better than the air outside of the school.

School officials have been working with the Bureau of General Services, which is a branch of the state Department of Administrative and Financial Services on the situation. No one at the bureau was available for comment because of the furlough day on Friday and holiday.

While the exact cause of the moisture has not been pinpointed, Colpitts said speculation is that flower and vegetable gardens that lined the sides of the school building during the last five years caused moisture retention in the  outside walls.

Colpitts said it appears that the “weep” holes, that are several inches above the base of the exterior walls, were covered with dirt, preventing moisture from escaping the walls.

“They built up raised beds raised about six inches from the foot of the foundation, against the veneer,” Colpitts said. “It covered the weep holes and prevented moisture from escaping the walls. We know moisture trapped in walls is one way to get mold.”

There will be ongoing testing throughout the school year to ensure that the inside air quality remains healthy for staff and students, he said.

In addition to removing the flower and vegetable beds, school officials have also done other things to reduce mold problems, such as replacing the entrance mat.

There are no costs estimates yet for the long-term solution of replacing walls, Colpitts said. Once it is decided the project must be done, he said it will be done during summer or vacation recess when no one is in the school.

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