Parents call on Palm Beach County to replace aging elementary school

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Parents call on Palm Beach County to replace aging elementary school

By Marc Freeman

Education Writer

Posted May 31 2005

http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/local/southflorida/sfl-

pkirklane31may31,0,7520947.story?coll=sfla-home-headlines

A plan to tear down and replace a 35-year-old Palm Beach County

elementary school in 2011 is too long of a wait for a campus

battered by " horrific " roofing, flooding, overcrowding and parking

problems, according to parents and community leaders.

Clifford O. /Kirklane Elementary in Palm Springs is No. 1 on a

2003 Palm Beach County School District survey of 13 schools that

should be replaced because of age and deteriorating conditions.

But Kirklane is not included in the School District's $1 billion

construction program for the next five years. Nor is the project

being funded by the half-cent sales tax that county voters approved

in November. Administrators cite other promised jobs that are in

line before Kirklane.

" These children deserve no less than any other child in Palm Beach

County, " said School Board member ette Burdick, calling on

administrators to build the new school sooner and to order emergency

repairs.

Complaints include allegations of standing water between portable

classrooms, collapsing ceiling tiles and flooding, repeated roof

leaks, mold in closets and classrooms and insufficient classroom

space or parking for parents during dismissal.

" The situation as described sounds pretty horrific, " board member

Richmond said. " If the problems are that bad, we have the

summer to take care of them. "

Parent Pena of Palm Springs said she is worried poor air

quality is affecting her second-grade daughter's asthma.

" The number one thing I don't like is the mold in the school. You

can see it in the classrooms, " said Pena, upset that the replacement

school may not open until her younger 3-year-old daughter is in the

fifth grade.

" Staff has to tell us if it is a crisis or not, " board member Monroe

Benaim said.

Chief Operating Officer ph and Facilities Chief ph

Sanches agreed to inspect Kirklane, 4200 Purdy Lane, and prepare a

recommendation in advance of a July 13 board meeting. They said they

are not aware of mold at the school.

" We do not have children in locations that are dangerous to our

knowledge, " Sanches said. " We are ready to address each and every

concern. "

A pre-kindergarten program that is supposed to be held at Kirklane

between June 20 and July 22 will be moved if there are safety

issues, said.

State Rep. Bucher, D-Royal Palm Beach, says she is seeking a

solution on behalf of a large number of non-English-speaking, low-

income parents who are reluctant to come forward. About 76 percent

of the school's 985 students receive free and reduced price lunches.

" These folks are no squeaky wheels, " Bucher said.

Administrators say they are inclined to stick to the promises they

made to all voters during last year's sales tax campaign. That means

starting or completing about 40 major construction projects that

have been pending since 1999, some involving schools that have been

coping patiently with the same roof and drainage issues seen at

Kirklane.

School Board Chairman Tom Lynch agreed, cautioning, " I will not

support changing the 5-year plan from what we told the public we

would do. "

Kirklane is in line to receive a new roof and drainage improvements

this autumn, projects that could cost about $2.5 million. The

investment is necessary until the district can afford to replace the

school, officials say.

All of the tumult has not affected learning at the A-rated school,

said reading teacher Peggy Delaney, who regularly walks in ankle-

deep water between portable classrooms. The percentage of third-

graders who read on grade level rose from 49 percent to 55 percent

this year, 12 points shy of the countywide average.

" The kids, " Delaney said, " are not suffering in terms of academics. "

Marc Freeman can be reached at mjfreeman@... or 561-243-

6642.