Parents Demand Answers From Coachella Valley Unified School District Over Mold at John Kelley Elementary

Parents across the Coachella Valley are demanding answers from the Coachella Valley Unified School District after mold was discovered inside a classroom at John Kelly Elementary School.

Families say concerns first surfaced in December after a foul smell was reported inside a classroom designated for special needs students. A health inspection conducted on December 18 confirmed mold was present in multiple areas of that classroom, raising alarms about student and staff safety.

Several weeks later, parents say they are still frustrated, claiming the issue has not been fully resolved and communication from school and district leaders has been unclear. Many of the affected students are nonverbal and have special needs, which parents say makes transparency and urgency even more critical.

Parents told NBC Palm Springs they are concerned about how long the mold may have been present and how much exposure their children may have experienced. Some say nearly every student on the autism spectrum in the area has spent time at John Kelly Elementary, making the potential scope of exposure especially troubling.

In a written statement, district officials say they took proactive steps to assess the entire campus using outside environmental firms. The district says remediation, post-remediation verification, and construction work were completed during winter break before students returned to classrooms. Officials also claim indoor air quality testing did not show elevated mold levels, with results comparable to or better than outdoor baseline air.

Parents say that response has not eased their concerns. Attorneys representing families are planning a press conference later today, where they are expected to present evidence of mold contamination, claims the district had prior knowledge of the issue, and calls for accountability, transparency, and immediate action.

NBC Palm Springs reporter Alondra Campos reports that attorneys are also preparing lawsuits on behalf of affected families against the school district.

Additional details from the attorneys and families are expected later in the newscast.

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