A long-running health saga at a high school in north-west NSW has re-emerged, prompting an urgent return to remote learning.
More than 50 students and staff at Wee Waa High School fell ill last year with symptoms consistent with exposure to mould.
The school was closed in term four and classes were relocated to a primary school, but in a joint letter to parents last week, the principals of both schools confirmed similar symptoms had returned in a number of students and staff.
"Some concerns remain in relation to potential exposure to mould spores ... and any remnants at the new high school site," they said.
A forensic clean of the demountable buildings begun on Friday.
High school students were due to return to the campus today, but have been asked to stay away unless they have no suitable alternative.
The primary school buildings are unaffected.
Do it once, do it right
Education Minister Sarah Mitchell said there had not been any health advice to suggest a forensic clean was necessary.
She said the clean had been ordered by the Department of Education in an attempt to prevent more people becoming sick, and an investigation into the problem had begun.
She apologised for the inconvenience and said the clean provided the best chance for the school community to return to normal.
"It's important that we get this deep cleaning done and done well," Ms Mitchell said.
Labor has previously criticised the minister for what it described as a delayed response when the issues emerged last year, a claim Ms Mitchell rejected.
Parents have told the ABC they were frustrated to find out about the school's closure through a Facebook post, but the minister defended the use of social media as a communication tool.
"A lot of parents and families do look on Facebook and social media, it is a commonplace where messages can go out quickly to parents," she said.
The NSW government is still considering whether to build a new high school for the town.
