With students, teachers and staff preparing to return to classes in less than two weeks, new samplings of mold levels in a dozen Howard County schools are prompting more questions than answers about whether the air is safe to breathe.
The study, commissioned by the county and conducted by an outside environmental consultant and released earlier this month, found some spore levels were higher than industry standards.
What that means, exactly, has caused much head scratching. There are no "universally accepted" standards in the air-quality industry or state and federal government rule books.
A spokesman for the county schools said buildings are "healthy" and its own hygienist is reviewing the county test findings and advising that the mold levels aren't hazardous and within normal ranges.
In addition, new air-monitoring protocols are in place at each school.
Mold affects everyone differently and the county school system was given low grades over how it handled a mold problem several years ago at Glenwood Middle, which became the poster child for bungled communications between parents and the school system over how health concerns were being addressed and mold was being removed.
Stepped up monitoring in schools, with results made available to the public in real time, are essential in rebuilding trust. By having the independent county findings, any school system test reports can be compared and contrasted, monitored for elevated levels of fungi.
Translating the findings of the latest report, which one PTA official said are "not easily understood," will be crucial in providing context to the mold levels, air quality and health – and providing a level of confidence that buildings are safe.
Parents, students and employees deserve unambiguous answers and the county's findings don't provide them.