GOULDSBORO – Gouldsboro Grammar School has joined the ranks of other schools in the state faced with having to get rid of an unwanted visitor: mold.

Since the beginning of the year, roughly 20 schools have reported to the state that they are having problems with mold, according to Michael Kucsma of the Maine Department of Education.

Approximately half that number of schools have reported mold problems since August, he said Friday.

Schools are not required to report mold infestations to the state, according to Kucsma, but have no choice but to do so if they seek state assistance in addressing the problem, he said.

Other Maine communities that have dealt with the issue this year include Bath, Hodgdon, Lincolnville, Rockport and South Portland.

The presence of mold and mildew in the schools has raised concerns among local residents about the health of pupils and staff members who are exposed to the problem almost on a daily basis.

Kucsma said wet weather this year “very easily” may have contributed to the mold problems in the various schools.

In Gouldsboro, an on-site inspection was conducted of the Route 195 school on Oct. 16, according to Gene Kaler, environmental program manager of the Maine Bureau of General Services.

Kaler said Friday that during the inspection, he found several areas where mold may be growing in or on the school buildings.

The wood composite siding on the outside of the main building apparently is sucking up moisture off the ground; one portable classroom has no vapor barrier beneath it; and mold has been found in a crawl space underneath part of the main school building, he said.

“You can smell the mustiness and so forth,” Kaler said. “[The building] is growing mold on the outside.”

He said that in order to find out the extent of the problem, which is believed to be the source of the musty smell, the walls need to be opened up and the insides examined.

“A lot of it is hidden, so you can’t see it,” Kaler said of the mold. “It’s not visible in the classroom.”

Mold at the school could pose a health problem to pupils and staff members in the buildings, according to the state official.

“It could be [an issue] to students who are allergic,” Kaler said. “I believe they have certain teachers already with allergies.”

Anyone at the facility with immune deficiency issues, such as someone undergoing chemotherapy, also could be affected by mold, he said.

Donald LaPlante, Union 96 superintendent, said Friday morning that one option under consideration for dealing with the problem is moving pupils to Winter Harbor Grammar School, where the student population has decreased considerably in recent years since the Navy shut down a nearby base on Schoodic Point.

Union 96 is composed of the towns of Gouldsboro, Winter Harbor, Franklin, Sorrento, Steuben, and Sullivan.

LaPlante said the Gouldsboro School Committee is expected to discuss the issue at its next meeting on Nov. 12. He said he did not think it would be appropriate for him to talk to the media about the issue before he talked to the school board about it and declined further comment.

Later attempts Friday afternoon to contact LaPlante were unsuccessful. Other attempts on Friday to contact other Gouldsboro school officials also were unsuccessful.

Kucsma said he has spoken to LaPlante about the mold findings at Gouldsboro Grammar School. He said local school officials have had consultants look at the mold and are working on a plan of action to deal with the issue.

Whatever solution might be found for the problem will be up to local officials, Kucsma said. He said he does not know what mitigation in Gouldsboro would cost because he does not know how big the school is or how pervasive the problem is.

Kaler said that the problems he has seen in Gouldsboro are “typical” and are not as bad as those he has seen at other schools.