Crews demolish Pines Elementary School in Plymouth due to high levels of mold

WASHINGTON COUNTY, N.C. (WITN) - An elementary school in the east is being demolished after mold was detected in the building a few years ago.

Crews in Plymouth spent a dreary Wednesday demolishing what used to be Pines Elementary School.

Back in 2021, an air quality report from Piedmont Service Group revealed high levels of mold in the building. More than 400 students attended the school before it was closed indefinitely in 2021.

According to Washington County Superintendent, Linda Carr, most students were relocated to Washington County Middle School to learn in trailers behind the school. Now a new school is will be built where Pines Elementary once stood.

“It was actually cheaper to scratch it and start again,” Carr said.

According to Carr, the new school will be a state-of-the-art facility. There are more than 1,000 students in the Washington County School District and the new building will hold more than 1,300.

“With our demographics continuing to decline with our school age population, it should do what it needs to do for Washington County for many years to come.”

The $70-million project is being paid for through lottery funds and loans.

The demolition of Pines Elementary School will take another four to six weeks and the new school is expected to open in the fall of 2024.

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