Mold Forces Disruptions at Chicago-Area Schools and a Waukegan Police Station as Storms Intensify

Hundreds of students at John H. Kinzie Elementary School in Chicago's Garfield Ridge neighborhood began this school year in the wrong building. They started classes at the neighboring John F. Kennedy High School while the Kinzie building at 5625 S. Mobile Ave. went through environmental testing and cleanup after mold turned up in several areas. Students returned to Kinzie on Aug. 31, one week after the first day of school.

Chicago Public Schools began monitoring the building in early August after reports of musty odors, water damage, peeling paint and possible mold, according to communications shared with families. In recent weeks, mold has also disrupted other public buildings in the region, including at least a handful of other Chicago schools, several facilities in a southwest suburban school district, two schools in Mount Prospect and a police station in Waukegan. At the Waukegan station, mold grew on walls and also on U.S. and Illinois flags.

Climate change is a key driver. As emissions from human activity raise average temperatures, Midwest summers are becoming more humid, and a warmer atmosphere holds more moisture, producing heavier downpours and local flooding. Illinois saw a 15% increase in rainfall between 1895 and 2019, and from 1958 to 2016 the heaviest 1% of Midwest rainfall events became 42% wetter, according to the Fourth National Climate Assessment. The Midwest and Northeast are projected to see increases of about 40% in extreme rainfall events by the end of the century.

Schools face particular risk because their air conditioning, ventilation and dehumidification systems often sit mostly idle in summer, so water damage can go unnoticed. Barton Robertson, who runs the Chicago-area remediation business Above Board Indoor Environmental, said calls have risen over the past couple of years, and especially this year. "Buildings are under a lot of moisture pressure," he said, citing prolonged heat, high humidity and heavy rainfall.

Mold feeds on many materials. Robertson called cellulose-based products, found in wood and some gypsum boards and insulation, "mold's favorite food." Even non-cellulose materials can be affected: a third-party post-remediation report found visible mold on fiberglass pipe insulation at Kinzie. Brent Stephens, a professor at the Illinois Institute of Technology, noted that porous concrete can absorb moisture and collect dust that becomes a food source. Six rooms initially tested at Kinzie exceeded the 65% humidity limit recommended by ASHRAE, while the EPA says the ideal indoor range is closer to 30% to 50%.

Health effects can be serious, particularly for children. Mold can worsen asthma, one of the most common chronic diseases in children, and can trigger hypersensitivity pneumonitis, a lung inflammation whose symptoms include coughing, wheezing and shortness of breath and are sometimes mistaken for the flu. Traci Adams of UT Southwestern Medical Center said most people around mold do not develop lung disease, and that genetics and environment both play a role. Invasive mold infections are rare but can be life-threatening, and Duke researcher Erica Washington said some aspergillus species once thought harmless can survive at human body temperature in the lab.

The Chicago Teachers Union says six other CPS buildings have reportedly had mold this school year: Greeley Elementary, Prieto Math and Science Academy, Ruiz Elementary, Esmond Elementary, Northside Learning Center and Taft High School. The union said operations were less affected than at Kinzie, though learning was likely disrupted at some. At Ruiz, teachers had to turn off noisy dehumidifiers so students could hear lessons. As of mid-October, only Northside Learning Center was still reporting an unresolved moldy smell.

A CPS spokesperson said the district conducts regular environmental inspections and addresses potential mold promptly and thoroughly. The union has called on Gov. JB Pritzker to release disaster relief funds, with financial secretary Diane Castro pointing to a $2 billion rainy-day fund. A spokesperson for the governor's office said it had received no formal request from the union or CPS. Castro also said Illinois underfunds CPS by about $2 billion, and the union says the state is funding the district at 70% in the 2026-27 school year.