Education Minister Randy Horton has declared CedarBridge Academy entirely safe for students and staff after a visit from an overseas air quality expert.

Mr. Horton contacted The Royal Gazette to reveal that building inspector and indoor environmentalist Paul Gressin conducted tests in March at the Island’s largest public school and last week branded the building an acceptable working environment.

“Just this week we have had Paul Gressin who has met with the union (Bermuda Union of Teachers) and the teachers to indicate that the indoor air quality is fine for people to be in,” he said.

The Minister closed CedarBridge in November for a clean-up of mould contamination which cost almost $4 million. Since the Devonshire school reopened in January, some teachers and students have continued to complain about the environment and its possible effect on their health.

Mr. Horton said at the weekend: “As far as people being in the building, we are keeping a close watch.”

He said he had yet to receive a report from an independent team brought in to investigate how the mould situation got out of control at the school.

The three-member panel — consisting of Kamoji Wachiira, Walton Brown and William Medeiros — was due to deliver its findings to him last Friday.

“I should have it by early next week,” said Mr. Horton.

“I have had some discussion. They haven’t completed the report in the...format they want it to be. Once I receive the report I have got to go to Cabinet.”

Mr. Horton has pledged to make the contents of the report public and last night Shadow Health Minister Louise Jackson urged him to do so as soon as possible.

“This has to be made public immediately,” she said. “People have to know exactly what’s going on with regards to that school. I’ve asked them questions about what has happened but they have not replied. I just want them to be truthful with people.

“This issue involves hundreds of children and adults who have to live in that environment. Yet we don’t hear what is happening.”

A Ministry of Education spokeswoman said no time had been set for the release of the report but insisted: “The Minister has committed to making the report public and will do so.”

Mrs. Jackson alleged that mould was back in the building, saying a school official told her that “air handlers” was turned off to save electricity and this encouraged mould re-growth.

“There was no air flow and the mould has better growing conditions in the warm, stagnant ducts. In order to save money in electricity, they went against the advice to them by mould experts who had told them why the mould had formed. I’m outraged - I have continued to be outraged from the very beginning of this debacle.”

George Scott, chairman of the school’s board of governors, dismissed the allegation. “There is no proof to Mrs. Jackson’s claim,” he said. Mr. Horton agreed. “I think George said it right,” he added.