CHARLOTTE, N.C. — The rainy summer has produced flooding and major road problems around Charlotte and now the rain has caused mold to surface on the first day of school.
A Charlotte Mecklenburg Schools representative acknowledged that moisture that built up in idle school buses led to mold forming in what she called a "few" buses.
But a driver who did not want to be identified said it was in fact dozens of buses, some of them on the CMS lot on Wilkinson Boulevard where drivers and other employees were called in over the weekend to get rid of the mold.
"It was a scramble to get all of this stuff off these buses," the driver said, adding that drivers and parents were concerned.
"This is really hazardous to the children's health and to the drivers' health. It's a health issue," the driver added.
Channel 9 obtained several photographs that show what appear to be mold on a seat, seat belt and other areas inside buses, including one that was scheduled to make runs on Monday.
Some parents were concerned as well.
Kizzy Teasley, who has two sons in middle school and is also a former school bus driver, said she was not putting them on the bus yet.
"Because I've been told there are issues with mold on the buses," Teasley said.
CMS Superintendent Dr. Heath Morrison is scheduled to give a briefing on the first day of school at 6:30 p.m. and may address the mold questions then.
WSOC
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