FRIENDSWOOD — The start of the school year at Westwood Elementary has been delayed after Friendswood ISD identified elevated mold levels in portions of the campus and determined additional remediation and repairs are needed before students and staff can return.

The district said campus administrators reported increased moisture and visible surface mold in parts of the building during the summer. A third-party environmental consultant conducted air and surface testing in July, which found elevated mold levels requiring immediate action. District officials said the testing did not identify black mold.

According to Friendswood ISD, further evaluation found two primary causes: the building’s HVAC system was not adequately controlling moisture during the summer months, and moisture associated with a portion of the HVAC system saturated sections of the roof deck and spread into parts of the building.

The district said replacement of the affected HVAC units had already been planned and is expected to begin within the next few weeks. A roof replacement in the affected area has also been approved and is being scheduled.

Friendswood ISD said it expanded its summer maintenance efforts by hiring an environmental remediation contractor to conduct comprehensive cleaning, testing and repairs throughout the building, including cleaning the fixed HVAC duct system. District officials said environmental professionals will continue testing the campus and students and staff will return only after the recommended work has been completed and the building is confirmed safe for occupancy.

The district acknowledged it “fell short” of community expectations for providing a safe learning environment and said it will implement enhanced HVAC monitoring, maintenance and operational procedures to help prevent similar issues in the future.

Because of the remediation work, the start of the school year at Westwood Elementary has been postponed. Kinder Camp, originally scheduled for this week, has also been postponed until a new date is announced.

Friendswood ISD said it expects to provide its next update on Friday, Aug. 7, including an anticipated reopening timeline if one is available.