A South Jersey school district has moved some students to remote learning because of mold

A South Jersey school district shifted some students to remote learning Thursday and moved others to another building after mold was discovered in classrooms.

In a letter to parents, Lumberton School Superintendent Colleen Murray said the school system in Burlington County took the action after mold was found in classrooms at Lumberton Middle School and Bobby’s Run School.

Murray said students from 10 classrooms at Bobby’s Run, an elementary school, have been relocated to an area in the middle school not impacted by mold. Meanwhile, students from 16 classrooms at the middle school began remote learning Thursday, she said.

Parents who had to scramble to make arrangements for their children to learn virtually were told to plan for the possibility of remote instruction for two weeks. The online classes began Thursday after a two-hour delay to give teachers and students time to gather needed materials.

Murray said the district doesn’t have an exact timeline for completing remediation in the two schools. The district also operates Ashbrook Elementary.

Lumberton has about 1,100 students enrolled in pre-K to eighth grade.

Murray told CBS3 Philadelphia that the mold problem was discovered after a teacher complained about an odor in her classroom. Results from testing conducted there and the other classrooms were positive, she said.

The state Department of Education approved the remote learning plan to allow instruction to continue during remediation, Murray said. The 2023-24 school calendar will not be impacted, she said.

Middle school students were allowed to return to the building to retrieve their devices from their lockers, Murray said. Devices would be assigned to new students, she said. The district said it would assist students without internet service at home.

“This situation is evolving...,” Murray wrote. “We deeply appreciate your patience and understanding as we work through this unexpected situation.”