Activist questions Plano ISD secrecy on Murphy Middle mold records

A records fight over Murphy Middle School has turned into a test of how openly Plano ISD explains mold cleanup at the campus at 620 N. Murphy Road in Murphy. Parent Shannon Ayres is asking why the district will not release work orders tied to the remediation, even after taxpayers paid for a weeklong closure and repairs that included carpet replacement, HVAC cleaning, disinfecting, dehumidifiers, air purifiers and window resealing.

The campus became a concern in late summer and fall 2025 after staff and parents reported odors and possible moisture problems. Plano ISD said an initial environmental study in late August led to recommendations that were completed, and that a second study received Oct. 3, 2025, prompted the broader closure from Oct. 6 through Oct. 10. The district said neither air-quality study detected black mold on campus. Staff were scheduled to return Oct. 16, 2025, and students were due back Oct. 20.

District leaders also tried to reassure families before the closure. Murphy principal Tramy Tran emailed families on Sept. 23, 2025, saying the district had hired a third party to conduct a limited mold inspection and that air quality was within acceptable range and presented no health concerns. Still, parents remained uneasy. Meghan Vecchio, a Murphy parent, said her son had headaches and believed poor air quality at the school could be linked to mold or mildew concerns.

The transparency dispute escalated in December. Ayres filed a petition for writ of mandamus on Dec. 5, 2025, after submitting a written request on Oct. 8 for records related to mold hazards in Plano ISD schools. She said she filed a complaint with the Texas Attorney General’s Open Records Division on Nov. 13 and followed up with the district on Nov. 26, after more than 50 days without a written response.

Plano ISD said the request was quarantined by Microsoft Outlook security protocols and that the district became aware of it through the mandamus filing it received Dec. 9, 2025. The district also said in its own explanation that the lawsuit concerned a records request, not campus safety at Murphy Middle School, and that families had already been kept informed during the environmental assessment process.

For now, the fight centers on a basic question under the Texas Public Information Act, which presumes government records are public and generally requires a written response within 10 business days: what work was done, when leaders knew, and why families still cannot easily verify the condition of a school where their children spend the day.