August 24th, 2016 by WCBC Radio

The first day of school has been pushed back throughout the Bedford Area School District after tests showed elevated mold levels in several classrooms at Bedford Elementary School, officials announced. Classes were scheduled to start Wednesday, but they will now be delayed until Monday. The Johnstown Tribune-Democrat reports District officials first became aware on Aug. 18 that there was mold in some classrooms at the elementary school. They arranged for a laboratory to test air quality in each room and samples of the mold. The results came back Tuesday afternoon showing elevated levels of aspergillus mold in several first-floor rooms. In response, district officials hired a cleaning company that specializes in mold remediation to clean the affected areas.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, aspergillus is a common mold species that poses little threat to those with healthy immune systems. For people with weakened immune systems, however, breathing in aspergillus spores can cause dangerous lung or sinus infections.

Casey Cover, administrative assistant to the superintendent, said that although the mold problem is limited to the elementary school, the district decided to delay classes for all its students.

Sporting events and other extracurricular activities will continue as scheduled this week.