KATY, Texas (Covering Katy News) - Multiple mold-damaged classrooms at Aristoi Classical Academy's two Katy campuses have prompted a local physician to help students, faculty and staff determine if their health has been harmed by long-term exposure to mold and he's expanding his original offer to provide discounted testing to the first 25 people who signed up. He's now making the offer to an unlimited amount of people from the Aristoi community who have their testing completed before March 1, 2024.
Timothy "Matt" Everett, MD, has negotiated discounted testing for faculty, staff and students who agree to share their results with researchers studying the impact of mold on a large group of people exposed over a long period in the same location.
iHeal
Dr. Matt Everett
Some Aristoi students have experienced concerning symptoms, prompting questions about the long-term implications of mold exposure.
The school has not offered to fund any testing of those potentially affected.
Dennis Spellman, publisher of Covering Katy News and author of this article, first learned about mold problems at school campuses through his role as a parent of a student there. Aristoi revealed the problems at the start of the school year. After discovering Aristoi had no plans to offer student testing, and learning that the most reliable medical tests were cost-prohibitive for some families, Spellman began discussions with Dr. Everett, a mold expert, to help parents and staff members who wanted testing but may be deterred by the price or not know who to consult for help.
The testing, which generally costs about $500 per person, will be offered at a reduced rate of $280 for all students, staff and faculty at Aristoi who have the testing done before March 1, 2024.
Dr. Everett will share the test results, surveys and symptom assessments with scientists studying the effects of mold exposure on children's health. Their research aims to help doctors better understand and treat mold-related illnesses in patients who were exposed in the same location.
Dr. Everett gained extensive expertise in treating mold after his wife became severely debilitated by its effects, and traditional medical procedures were ineffective.
"It was a journey that exposed the limitations of conventional medicine in recognizing and addressing mold toxicity," he said. "My wife's experience pushed us to explore solutions beyond traditional approaches, allowing us to provide hope and healing to others facing similar challenges."
Dr. Everett graduated from LSU Health Sciences Center Shreveport School of Medicine. He is an emergency medicine specialist with offices in Katy and Naples, Florida. He's been practicing for more than 20 years and has become an expert in treating those sickened by mold exposure at his practice named iHeal.
"These toxins can trigger a cascade of health problems, ranging from chronic fatigue, headaches, and respiratory issues to more serious immune dysfunctions and neurological concerns," Dr. Everett said.
Aristoi's lower campus at 5618 11th St. in Katy, which serves kindergarten through fourth-grade students, and its upper campus at 5610 Morton Road in Katy, which serves fifth through 12th-grade students, are undergoing extensive mold remediation efforts. The work has been ongoing throughout the 2024-25 school year.
Children, with their developing immune systems, are especially vulnerable, according to Dr. Everett.
"Short-term symptoms might look like allergies or the flu—runny noses, coughs, and irritability. However, prolonged exposure can lead to more insidious effects, such as cognitive delays, asthma, and autoimmune conditions that can profoundly impact a child's quality of life."
One of the biggest challenges in addressing mold exposure is identifying it early.
“Symptoms often mimic other conditions, leading to misdiagnoses or a lack of urgency in treatment,” Dr. Everett said. “That's where advanced testing, like the MyMycoLab blood test, plays a critical role. This specialized test evaluates markers in the immune system that indicate exposure to mold toxins.”
Those who are interested in the limited time offer for the first 25 people must mention this article when they contact iHeal at https://iheal.co/contact/.
Aristoi Academy statement:
We are actively assessing the scope of impact with the help of engineers, architects, and other professionals. While we work to gather accurate data, we are committed to ensuring transparency throughout this process.
To that end, we will continue to provide updates regarding the affected building here: https://www.aristoiclassical.org/district-resources/facilities/campus-updates.
The timeline for reopening will depend on the results of ongoing testing and remediation efforts. The safety of our staff and students is, of course, our top priority. The website will be updated as those plans are finalized. We will update the community as soon as more concrete information becomes available.