Calumet City junior high school closes for 2nd day due to mold

CALUMET CITY, Ill. (WLS) -- A junior high in south suburban Calumet City is closed for a second day Wednesday because of mold.

Dr. Troy A. Paraday, Superintendent of Schools for Calumet City School District No. 155, said in a statement Tuesday that officials may have found mold at Wentworth Junior High.

The school was closed Tuesday out of an abundance of caution.

Woodrow Wilson Elementary and Wentworth Intermediate were also closed Tuesday.

"Once the concern became known, the District took immediate steps to assess the concern and this phase is ongoing. We take this matter very seriously and are committed to taking action to remediate the concern to preserve the highest standard for our learning environments," Paraday said.

The decision to cancel classes caught many parents off guard.

"She was so excited yesterday to come to school," said parent Olivia Landeros of her daughter. "And then later, she was upset. She was crying."

One parent told ABC7 Chicago the district informed them that a mechanical malfunction in the air conditioning system lead to the mold.

"The kids loved it," said parent Joseph Graham. "The parents might not have been so happy, but the kids were cool with it."

Other parents said there could have been better communication about the closures.

"At registration, you give a phone number, you give mail addresses. So I feel like we should have gotten some kind of automated call," said parent Amber Williams. "Even if I didn't answer the phone it would have been on my voicemail in the morning."

Woodrow Wilson Elementary and Wentworth Intermediate reopened Wednesday.

Wentworth Junior High remained closed Wednesday while crews work to clean things up. An opening date has not yet been determined.

Paraday has not returned ABC7 Chicago's repeated inquiries about when the mold was first detected and whether students will make up the missed days.