Multiple classrooms in Building P have reopened following a mold outbreak that forced several rooms to close and displaced classes since September.
According to LBCC Facilities and Lubert Iglesia, coordinator of environmental health and safety, an outside consultant was brought in to assess the building
“They conducted air quality and mold assessments of different areas of Building P. Mold was confirmed on HVAC supply register vents and on ceiling tiles in multiple rooms. Air samples were elevated in [rooms] P134 and 138; while air samples from the rest of the areas inspected were not elevated,” Iglesia said.
Mold wasn’t the only maintenance issue reported in Building P. Water damage has also affected parts of the building.
English professor Brian Garcia said his class had recently been cleared to return to Building P before another moisture issue appeared.
“This week we were cleared to return to our classroom in the P-Building, for which I was grateful, but then this morning my classroom was covered in moisture that made the floor dangerously slippery and the desktops sticky. In addition to the immediate hazards and distraction that causes, there’s the issue of trust: we just opened this building after addressing a mold problem, and now two days in, we find ourselves in an alarmingly damp room,” Garcia said.
Facilities staff said condensation could form when humidity inside the building rose above 60%, allowing moisture to collect on ceiling tiles and metal HVAC registers.
“Condensation started to form when the space humidity was above the 60% mark, leaving moisture to drip on a ceiling tile and/or form on the metal register, much like condensation on a soda can. The space would remain damp. Lights go out in the rooms when unoccupied, leaving a condition for mold/mildew to start to form on the damp metal registers,” Facilities told Iglesia said.
The Facilities Maintenance team received a work order on Dec. 3, 2025, reporting moldy ceiling tiles and vents in P-134. The tiles were replaced and vents cleaned by Dec. 5. According to Facilities, the technician did not find a leak at the time.
Another work order for P-134 was submitted on Feb. 20 after a leak due to rain began dripping onto the projector. A Facilities technician entered the ceiling, located the source of the water intrusion and patched the problem area.
Before the fall semester, Facilities received reports of mold in additional classrooms.
On Aug. 31 and Sept. 1, Facilities received two work requests for moldy tiles in P-138, P-134, P-126 and P-127.
Facilities staff later checked the rest of Building P for any similar conditions. The rooms P-126, P-127, P-134 and P-138 were found to have the most visible condensation and dripping.
The rainwater leak in P-134 remains a separate issue. Repairs have temporarily stopped the leak, but Iglesia said it has returned during periods of rain.
“This leak comes straight down and off of the projector mount. No mold growth has been attributed to this issue. Facilities has contacted a waterproofing company to give an assessment/estimate for repairs. They were scheduled to visit the site the week of Sept. 28, 2026,” Iglesia said.
Building P is not the only campus building to experience maintenance issues.
Garcia said that although he had heard reports of mold in Building P before its closure, he had not personally seen it firsthand.
“Although I heard of mold in the P-Building prior to its closure, I never saw it. In the M-Building, since its opening, my office has had issues with rats, ants, and detached ceiling tiles. I don’t know if any of that is related to accumulation of moisture, but it couldn’t have helped,” Garcia said.
While some Building P classrooms have reopened, other affected rooms remain under assessment as students and faculty wait for the remaining spaces to be cleared for staff and students.
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