Last week, a plastic sheet was put up over the back wall of room B102, a biology room in the English wing at Wayland High School. The plastic sheet is there due to a mold issue on the backside of the wall.

A water leak from a heater behind the wall of the classroom caused the mold in the classroom. Because the mold is currently behind the wall, it will not affect the health of any students or staff who enter the room. There are no limitations of what students or staff can do inside the classroom.

“[The mold] being on the backside of the wall [is] a good thing because it doesn’t affect air quality,” Wayland High School head custodian Sean Slavin said. “It doesn’t affect anybody who has asthma or any breathing disorders of any kind. It [will not] affect you.”

The custodial staff simply put up the plastic sheet as a precaution, which will keep the mold contained even if it begins to seep through the wall.

“There’s no concern because [the custodial staff has] taken all the necessary precautions,” Slavin said. “There’s really nothing to worry about unless you’re actually seeing it. In that case, voice your concern, and it will definitely be taken care of quickly.”

Wayland Public Schools Facility Manager Patrick Morris has been working diligently to ensure that companies come in soon to remove the mold. It has taken longer than Morris and the custodial staff would have liked because of the COVID-19 understaffing issue, but Slavin is hopeful that the issue will be resolved soon.

“Once [the companies] can get in here, it’ll be quick,” Slavin said.” I just don’t know the estimate of when they’re coming, [but] I know it’s coming quick because [we are] moving quicker now. [The custodial staff has] pulled out all of the cabinets [in the classroom] and capped off all the wires, [so] it’s moving quicker.”

Although the mold is an inconvenience, students and staff should not be worried about it and can go about their days normally. The mold does not pose a danger to anyone, and the issue will be resolved as soon as possible.

“It’s not a real common thing that happens in a school,” Slavin said. “Unfortunately, the heater let go, but it’s very rare that anything like this ever happens. It’s just a fluke accident. We maintain things here, so we know that [the heater] shouldn’t have let go.”