Documents show a history of complaints at South Street Elementary

[Guest guest]

Documents show a history of complaints at South Street Elementary

06/15/2008

Sentinel & Enterprise,MA*

By

http://www.sentinelandenterprise.com/ci_9594228?source=rss

FITCHBURG -- South Street Elementary School teachers and

administrators have expressed concerns about mold and mildew in

classrooms.

In addition, they have told Superintendent Andre Ravenelle about a

pattern of illnesses suffered by some teachers and students during

the past two years, according to School Department records.

School principal Terrill wrote a letter to Ravenelle after

he received a notice from eight faculty members expressing concern

about health and safety issues.

Terrill said teachers have had headaches, breathing problems,

bacterial pneumonia and respiratory complaints.

" As I have read this letter, I am quite concerned of the unhealthy

working conditions of the staff and I am concerned of long-term

health issues and legal ramifications, " Terrill wrote to Ravenelle

on June 7, 2007.

The May 2007 letter from the eight teachers states that because

of " budgetary constraints, " cleaning supplies have been eliminated

from the school.

Teachers said they paid money out of their own pockets to have the

rugs professional steam cleaned in their classrooms.

" We had to take these measures into our own hands, " the teachers

wrote. " We will not pay our own money again to have our rugs

cleaned. This is not our responsibility. "

It also alleges that the outtake vents and heaters in the classrooms

had not been cleaned properly.

" In the last few years many teachers, paraprofessionals and student

teachers in this building have been very sick missing numerous days

of school, suffered severe headaches, sinus infections, allergies

and mild to severe asthma attacks and coughs, " the letter

states. " Many parents have complained about these same issues with

respect to their children. "

The information, provided by Ravenelle's office to the Sentinel &

Enterprise in response to a Freedom of Information filing, details

letters and e-mails between administrators and teachers at the

school.

The information also outlines roof repairs that have been done at

the South Street complex, which houses both the elementary school

and the central administration offices.

Other work has been done to remove carpets and ceiling tiles,

records show.

In response to concerns about health and safety, the School

Committee's Building Needs subcommittee created a task force to

examine the issue on a district-wide level last month.

Ravenelle sent letters to parents and teachers outlining the steps

to address the issues at South Street earlier this month.

Some of the records also shed some light on the relationship between

Ravenelle and Terrill. The principal filed a discrimination lawsuit

against Ravenelle earlier this year.

Former building maintenance supervisor Mark Force -- who left his

position earlier this year -- said the part of the complex the

teachers were complaining about met or exceed federal, state and

local requirements for ventilation.

He also reminded staff of proper operation instructions for the air

systems.

Force denied that custodial staff or supplies have been reduced or

eliminated in the letter he sent to Terrill on June 21, 2007.

Force wrote that he is " somewhat at a loss " for why the teachers

said the rooms are not adequately cleaned.

" Prior to this memo, I was not aware of any issues with regards to

the cleanliness of the building, or the scheduled tasks, why now? "

Force asks in the letter.

Force said he would also be scheduling indoor air-quality tests.

But Ravenelle -- in a cover letter sent to the Sentinel & Enterprise

with the information requested -- stressed that district employees

have acted to ensure the health and safety of the teachers, students

and staff.

He said multiple air-quality tests have been done. Work has also

been completed on rooms, including removing of carpets and replacing

of ceiling tiles, according to the records.

" I've been as proactive and responsive as I can be given the

resources we have, " Ravenelle said this week.

Ravenelle said his approach has been to collaborate with the School

Committee's Building Needs Task Force, as well as with local and

state health officials.

Ravenelle said this summer he hopes to entirely remove carpets from

the South Street building.

Water often leaked into classrooms and hallways before the roof was

repaired.

Five air quality and mold tests have been done on the north building

and north administration area, records show.

All of those tests, as well as another for the south administration

building, came back normal.

Other tests were done in response to the May 18, 2007 letter from

the eight teachers.

" This initiative was taken even though not requested by anyone, "

Ravenelle wrote in the cover letter.

Initial tests were deemed tainted due to windows left open

overnight, and because the carpets had been shampooed.

Separate tests were completed, and Ravenelle said that favorable

results were found to show no harmful material in the air.

A handful of local and state health and environmental officials have

inspected the school, but Ravenelle stressed he has received no

formal recommendations for changes based off the inspections.

Ravenelle said this week he encourages more inspections of the

school.

" Every time we do one more thing, we get more educated, and if

someone can find something we're missing, I welcome it, " he said.

Ravenelle has said there is no evidence to link the sicknesses to

the school. He has said there is no public-health concern at the

school.

But the information shows teachers and parents writing letters to

Terrill and Ravenelle about the sicknesses and allergies.

A fourth-grade teacher, whose name Ravenelle redacted, wrote that he

or she has experienced " colds and upper respiratory discomfort "

during four years working at the school.

The teacher said the room became a " ventless box, " and said the

carpeted room held odors. The teacher felt better after moving to a

different room.

" It is my belief that the room is and was unhealthy, " the letter,

which was dated Jan. 16, 2008, states.

Ravenelle said ihe has received medical notes from physicians

treating nine staff members from South Street and two of them

mentioned pneumonia.

Four others mentioned respiratory or allergy issues.

" But most of these teachers have returned to work, and there was no

connection alleged between the symptoms and the (South Street)

environment, " Ravenelle wrote in the letter, which was sent out last

week.

He said three other physicians indicated suspicion or concern about

the environment and recommended testing.

" The testing had been done and more was done, all with favorable and

safe results, " Ravenelle wrote.

Ravenelle also mentions that average sick leave absences are not

excessively higher at South Street compared to the district's other

11 schools.

Similarly, the student asthma rates are higher at other schools than

at South Street.

Terrill, the South Street principal, filed a discrimination lawsuit

against Ravenelle and the school district in April 2008.

In the suit he alleges that he has been denied reasonable

accommodations based on his legal blindness.

Terrill wrote Ravenelle a letter on March 11, outlining some of

those same concerns.

" You show no consideration of my visual disability in your manner of

communicating with me. You then tell me that I am a burden on you

because you have to write so many lengthy memos to me, " Terrill

wrote to Ravenelle. " Is there any reasonable explanation you can

provide me which would help me understand the escalating barrage of

written material and why you insist on corresponding in that

manner? "

Ravenelle then wrote Terrill a letter stating " I disagree with

essentially all of what you state. "

Ravenelle said that Terrill asked for complaints to be put in

writing.

Terrill also alleged in an earlier letter that he didn't have copies

of air-quality tests or cleaned univents.

So Ravenelle then sent Terrill 40 pages of inspections, cleaning

reports and air-quality test results.

Ravenelle also sent teachers and parents a memo on June 2 outlining

the work of the Health and Safety Task Force.

" The purpose of the Task Force is to assess conditions at all

Fitchburg schools and develop a district-wide plan for short-term

and long-term action to address environmental, health and safety

issues in Fitchburg's schools, " he wrote.

The information gathering process will include teacher checklists of

classrooms that will be completed by June 19, then principals and

custodians will meet to prioritize the needs of the school.

Short-term issues will be addressed by school staff and longer-term

issues will be sent to the Task Force, which will prioritize needs.