Just a week and a half into the 2026‑27 school year, the Monarch School in Barrio Logan – a San Diego County Office of Education (SDCOE) program that serves roughly 170 homeless children – was vacated after staff raised concerns about possible mold in the building.
Immediate response and temporary locations
SDCOE officials said the issue was first identified late Thursday. The next day, parents received notice that classes would be canceled while the agency worked out alternative arrangements. For at least the coming week, students and staff will be learning from other sites.
Perkins Elementary, a San Diego Unified school located nearby, has agreed to host Monarch’s kindergarten through fifth‑grade students in its classrooms. Older students, grades six through twelve, are being bused to the County’s South County Regional Education Center in National City. Families also have the option to enroll their children in independent study.
Testing and oversight
The school building is owned by the nonprofit Monarch School Project, which leases the space to SDCOE. The nonprofit will lead environmental testing, interpret the results, and make recommendations. In a statement, Monarch’s grant manager Roberta Sutton said the relocation is “while environmental testing related to air quality is conducted at our school facility” and emphasized that the organization will follow guidance from qualified experts.
SDCOE reiterated that the health and safety of students, families, staff, and community partners remain the highest priority. “That’s why, as soon as we heard of emerging concerns about possible mold on our campus, we immediately took action,” the agency’s press release read. Officials thanked families for their flexibility and praised the quick pivot to alternate sites.
Context of mold issues in San Diego schools
Monarch is not the first local school to confront mold problems. Earlier this year, mold was discovered in more than a dozen classrooms across two Poway schools, forcing the relocation of over a thousand students. Those incidents highlighted the importance of timely facility inspections and proactive health safeguards.
While the extent of the mold at Monarch remains unclear, the district’s swift response underscores a commitment to protecting vulnerable students. The county plans to share testing results as soon as they are available and will determine the timeline for returning students to the original campus.
What parents can expect
Parents of Monarch students have been provided with transportation details, contact information for the temporary sites, and options for independent study. SDCOE encourages families to stay in touch with school administrators for updates on testing outcomes and the eventual reopening plan.
Community members and local faith‑based organizations have expressed support for the displaced students, offering meals and tutoring resources while the school navigates this temporary transition.
Original reporting: Voice of San Diego — read the source article.
