Broken Hill high school shuts after mould discovery

ABC NEWS (Australia)

Hundreds of families in Broken Hill are facing a disrupted start to term one -- thanks to a massive outbreak of mould at a local high school. It's left educators scrambling to house over 600 students at other schools around the mining city.

Transcript

00:00 The mould was first discovered on the 9th of January right at the end of the school

00:05 holidays where it's believed that severe heat and humidity that accumulated over those last

00:11 few months caused mould to form in several parts of the school.

00:15 An independent hygienist was engaged very quickly.

00:18 They came on the site on the 16th of January and while it was initially believed that the

00:22 clean up would be complete by the start of the school term on the 8th of February next

00:27 week later they received advice that the mould was understood to be through the air conditioning

00:32 and it would be taking much longer and requiring new arrangements for over the over 650 students

00:38 and staff affected.

00:40 So an update has now been circulating to those affected parents, carers and students and

00:45 staff.

00:46 Years 7 and 8 will be going to Broken Hill North Public School.

00:50 Years 9 and 10 will be attending Morgan Street Public School on the primary school site.

00:55 Years 11 and 12 and the special education students will be going to Broken Hill High.

01:00 Now arrangements have been put in place to minimise the impact on the students that are

01:04 already at these schools.

01:06 Meanwhile that independent hygienist will be remaining on the site for the next immediate

01:10 future to continue their investigations.

01:14 There is no official indication as yet for how long it will be before the school is actually

01:18 accessible again.

01:19 It is currently still under quarantine.

01:21 There is also no indication of the duration of the plan that has been put in place by

01:26 School Infrastructure NSW.

01:28 Although there is unofficial word on the ground that it will be taking much longer than a

01:32 term and we have also heard that demountables are being delivered from outside of Broken

01:38 Hill so that all students and staff can be housed on one location.

01:42 Although an official timeline on that hasn't been disclosed as yet.

01:45 [BLANK_AUDIO]

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