Ensuring that campuses do not become a haven for mold in hot, humid summer months means the district must run air conditioning systems, which results in little savings on utilities for unoccupied buildings. "During the summer, we save a little because we reduce run time (for air conditioners), but we do not shut them off in the summer," said Kyle Bordelon, acting maintenance and facilities director. "We still have to keep those systems up and running."

The district spends more than $4.5 million each year on utilities, including natural gas, electricity, water and sewer.
The maintenance of Lafayette Parish school buildings is not the only concern for maintenance staff, who had to deal with how the school environment can affect health this year after a potentially harmful mold was found on one campus.

Questions about how well schools were maintained to prevent mold growth came to light after some children became ill and mold was found at Plantation Elementary School.

Some Plantation parents demanded the district test and clean the entire school. The cost of cleaning and testing totaled more than $85,000 and closed the school for two days.

School Board member Greg Awbrey said he learned of the mold problem years before running for office, when his wife went to help prepare classrooms at S.J. Montgomery Elementary before classes began.

"In classrooms at S.J. Montgomery, underneath the desks, mold was growing, mold was growing on cork boards, walls, on the desks," he said.

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