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Tear Down Specialists!
News, Education
Tuesday, August 14, 2007
School Board Balks, Then Agrees to Fund School Air Analysis
By James Lomuscio
Saying that time was of the essence, the chair of a committee investigating air quality at King’s Highway Elementary School (KHS) asked the Westport school board Monday night for $40,600 to run tests to determine if the school will be safe for opening day Aug. 27.
The Board of Education agreed, saying money could possibly come from funds already budgeted for removal of a mold-infested portable classroom, but only after more than 45 minutes of heated discussions as to who should pick up the tab—the school board or the town.
“Time is short, I have to give Gil a purchase order tomorrow,” Gavin Anderson, head of the Special King’s Highway Elementary School Maintenance Committee, told Mary Parmelee, school board chairman.
Gil is Gil Cormier of New Britain-based Occupational Risk Control Services, Inc., a consultant hired by the town to remediate mold and air quality concerns at the school.
Prior to asking for the funds, Anderon choreographed progress made over the past two weeks, including the successful demolition and removal of the mold-infested, portable classroom on the campus, carbon monoxide tests, and ferreting out potential mold sites, including the gymnasium and carpeting.
The special committee, appointed by First Selectman Gordon Joseloff two weeks ago in response to concerns from more than 100 parents to school administrators, operates independently from the school board but does include Assistant Superintendent Nancy Harris.
In order for the special committee to maintain its independence, Parmelee argued, the school board should not be involved in funding its work.
Parmelee also took the opportunity to criticize Joseloff, who was present at the meeting, for a miscommunication that implied the town would pay for it.
“I guess it’s easy (for the town) to say that money is no object,” Parmelee said, if the town is not paying for it.
“The Board of Education is responsible for the maintenance of the schools,” Joseloff responded. “Nobody will question the independence of the committee if the school board issues a PO (purchase order) tomorrow.”
“This doesn’t make any difference,” agreed Anderson, stressing his advisory group’s independence. “I don’t care where the money is coming from.”
Joseloff urged the school board’s immediate funding because town approval for the money would take several days following votes by the Board of Finance and the Representative Town Meeting.
Jeffrey Mayer, finance board chairman who was also present, agreed that if the school board did not act tonight, “We will have lost three days.”
The two dozen KHS parents at the meeting held in the Staples High School cafeteria were visibly disturbed by the Parmelee’s initial reluctance.
“All of these efforts are being made because of health issues at the school,” said Brendan Reilly, who noted that 18 children in his child’s classroom had been made sick.
“We are here because of the children, and when I hear all of these parliamentary protocols of who is going to pay, we look at the (school board) with nothing but disdain.”
Reilly also lauded Anderson’s efforts so far, saying that Joseloff “couldn’t have picked a better ambassador.”
One parent even accused Parmelee of being “obviously resentful” that the independent committee was even formed.
“I’m frustrated with the lack of communication with the committee,” Parmelee shot back, adding that she was “very surprised” that the school board was expected to pay.
Ann Dinshaw, parent of a daughter at KHS, faulted the school board for not reacting sooner to parents’ fears, especially since the board had received a report of the portable’s mold contamination in September 2006.
“Why wasn’t the pod taken down sooner?” she asked.
Regarding whether the school would get a clean bill of health for opening day, Anderson stressed, “I will not say, ‘Yes, open the school,’ until we have been convinced 100 percent that concerns have been addressed.”
“I cannot contemplate the fear transmitted to a child if a parent is fearful of sending a child to that school,” he said.
Comments: Comment Policy
I did not say I was frustrated with the lack of communication with the committee. Our communication with the committee is very open, including attendance of 4 Board of Education members at every committee meeting to date. As I said last night, my frustration is with the lack of communication from the First Selectman’s office. I remain upset that our First Selectman made a promise, as the “owner of the building” to the parents of Kings Highway and then took no action to ensure that that he had the financial means to fulfill that promise. I am appalled that the chair of his committee had to come hat in hand to the Board of Education to obtain funding to fulfill the First Selectman’s promise.
The Board of Education trusts its school administrators to balance safety and finances as they see fit, but that doesn’t mean parents always do. Stonewalled KHS parents did the responsible thing when they appealed to the Health District for help. As for funding the air testing, the administration has no business advocating all-day kindergarten and cool electives at the high school if it doesn’t take the time or have the money to make sure the buildings our kids are in are safe.
This kind of dickering over who pays to correct health problems in public buildings is a telling symptom of bureaucratic dysfunction. Contamination—whether it’s from mold, outgassing of building products, poor ventilation, pesticides, crumb rubber, or anything else—doesn’t just go away if you ignore it. It becomes a costly problem later on when people are shocked, just shocked, to find out it might be dangerous.
You think this is bad, just wait to see the squabble over who will pay to remove the turf fields when the time comes.
I am appalled that the Board never took the correct action to begin with on this important issue. The only reason an independent committee was even formed was because the Board never did the right thing from the start.
So, Ms. Parmelee you may be appalled for Mr. Joseloff’s promise but at least he listened and more importantly, acted promptly. This is more than I can say for you, the Board or Mr. Landon. So, if you are going to be appalled at anyone it should be yourselves, for not being capable of identifying the importance and urgency of this issue and placing parents in the position of having to enlist Mr. Joseloff’s help to be heard and get anything accomplished.
Your 45+ minute discussion as to why it was not your place to pay was simply another attempt at not taking any responsibility for this situation.
You would have never been in that position last night if the right thing had been done in the first place. I am also appalled at your continual biting remarks to both our town officials and members of this community.
The first and foremost responsibility of the Board is to keep our children safe and sound, period.
Dear Ms. Parmelee,
Many of us in town are frustrated and appalled by the BoE. The Board has stonewalled us over important issues, but at the drop of a hat, approved Mr. Landon’s contract increases, year after year (lawsuit after lawsuit after violations of FOI), with out question.
Many of us in town will remember these things the next time we step up to vote. I surely will not be selecting ANY incumbents.
Instead of rubber stamping Mr. Landon’s fees, we could rubber stamp making sure King’s Highway is safe now and in the future.
That’s constructive. Let’s see, are there two new candidates running for the board? That will leave a Board of Ed consisting of two members.
Unfortunately, one of the Republican candidates is an incumbent. So we could vote for Sandy DeFelice since there is a possibility she will not be in lockstep withe the current BoE.
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Note: WestportNow Publisher Gordon F. Joseloff is also First Selectman of Westport
