Aug. 24, 2006 – Gov. Charles W. Turnbull will not have to issue a declaration of "public exigency" this year to get summer maintenance work completed on the territory's schools.
An inspection of five schools in the St. Thomas-St. John district Thursday revealed work ongoing or completed that showed marked improvement over the deplorable condition the schools were in a year ago when Turnbull issued his order. There will not be a repeat of 2005 this year.
A group of Education Department officials did the final walk-through on five St. Thomas schools, which were met with various states of readiness.
Accompanying Education Commissioner Noreen Michael was Emily R. Carter, insular superintendent; Yahaya Bello, deputy superintendent; Brent Blyden, facilities manager; Louis Hughes, territorial director of plant operations; Vernelle de Lagarde, AFL president; Oswin Potter, Board of Education at-large member; and Sens. Liston Davis and Shawn-Michael Malone.
The visit comes on the heels of a blistering 39-page report earlier this month from the Board of Education, which found fault with just about everything in the school system, especially the department's overall maintenance program (See "Crumbling, Neglected Schools A Major Concern in BOE Report.")
Many of the maintenance issues noted in the report have subsequently been addressed, the officials pointed out Thursday.
The group Thursday were given tours of Gladys Abraham, Joseph Sibilly and E. Benjamin Oliver elementary schools; along with Addelita Cancryn Junior High School and Ivanna Eudora Kean High School.
Abraham Principal Whitman Browne said he was impressed with the work of Hughes this summer. "He put on his boots and got right in the kitchen to help with the repairs," he said. "That's hands-on attention."
Browne was especially happy about two new lawn mowers the school has received, which are now in operation. "Sen. Davis put through a $25,000 appropriation. The machines are here, and we even have money left over for parts," he said.
Browne showed the auditorium, which is newly painted, as are the hallways — and air conditioned. "I have vision for the physical plant, and that is coming," Browne said. "But, we still need more staffing."
Michael said the department is assessing each school and inspecting the structures, when they were built. "We are collecting a physical history of the schools so we have something to work with, like an owner's manual," she said. "Not having a timetable was a big criticism from the Board of Education last year."
Assistant Principal Ahmed Popo greeted the group at Cancryn. "Welcome to the best school in the West," he said, determinedly.
The school has had some improvements this summer, but pigeon droppings litter the walkway, and the walkway roof needs repair.
The school is painted — up to a point. "We ran out of paint," Popo said. "We had to send for some more to Puerto Rico, but it will be ready by Monday."
When it rains, students still have to walk from the school to the cafeteria with no overhead protection. For years the government has said it would relocate Cancryn to an area more appropriate for the school. And this, Malone commented, is why nothing significant ever gets done at the school.
Things were sunny at Sibilly. Principal Dora Hill showed off the school's new overhead, protecting the school's walkway. "It's our dream come true," she said. The school is painted bright green, as is the new walkway. The cafeteria is a cheery aqua color, complete with madras curtains, which match the students' uniforms, Hill said.
Potter objected to the heat in the kitchen, off the cafeteria. "I'd give the school a B," he said. Hill said, "I give it an A, an A-plus."
E. Benjamin Oliver principal Felix Durand said he was "fairly satisfied" with the work that has been done this summer. "I am confident it will be finished."
A major reconstruction is taking place at the school. An area in the central part of the school is barricaded off, where earth-moving equipment has been used to dig under an old pump room and storeroom next to the teachers' lounge. It will be replaced with a new handicapped-accessible bathroom and teachers' lounge. Bello said the work should be completed within two months.
Another high point is the library. Bello said, "We ripped out all the old carpeting and tiled the entire room. It took a little less than two weeks, with the contractors working day and night."
De Lagarde took a special interest in E. Benjamin Oliver. "You remember," she said, "I taught here for 26 years. I worked with the PTA to get some of these repairs done, tile in the cafeteria, major repairs. In comparison to the close of school, it is coming along, but there is still mold on the roof."
Kean has two major improvements – an air-conditioned, newly painted gym, with workers still mopping up the floor; and new brightly painted covered walkways.
"One of Middle States' [the commission overseeing school accreditation] biggest complaints was the lack of protection on the walkways from rain," Michael said. "And, a sore point last year was the gym, when it couldn't be used for graduation." That won't be a problem next June, she noted.
In assessing the inspections, Malone said, "I believe they could have started earlier. By now, things should have been already done. My thing is we should follow through. We have the proper funding now for 2007 for a … year-round maintenance program and staff. We should not be seeing last minute stuff like this next year."
There is, however, a fly in the ointment: legislation of Sen. Davis', which, at first glance, looked like it could delay school opening. The amendment requires the Health and Labor departments and the Department of Planning and Natural Resources to certify each school as "environmentally safe" before school can open.
Michael said she has e-mailed each of the commissioners, but has not had replies. She said she is not certain whether each department must produce a certificate, or if it is one for all.
Eunice Bedminster, speaking for Health Commissioner Darlene Carty, said the legislation does not spell out the procedure for doing the inspections, nor the criteria. She said the environmental health division, as a regular procedure, inspects the schools each year.
Davis later said he thought the agencies should prepare their own checklists, and "check for uniformity when they make school visits." He said he thought the legislation was self-explanatory.
"I somewhat believe one certificate would indicate all schools are environmentally safe," Davis said. "If one school doesn't meet the standards, they can determine how to handle it. This legislation was signed last November, so they should have acted on it before now."
The Source was unable to get DPNR and Labor Department commissioners Thursday afternoon. "I issued a reminder on the radio last week," Davis said.
He said, "The law requires coordination between the agencies. I'm not going to prosecute them because I understand the situation, but I think in the first quarter of this school year, they should do this."
As far as grading what he saw today in the schools, Davis said, "I wouldn't use a grade. There are still basically lots of problems. The schools are in satisfactory condition to open." Echoing Malone, he said, "My concern is whether a year-round maintenance plan is in place. It really makes a difference."
Editor's note: The Source wrote that Commissioner Michael had not had replies from e-mails she had sent to the Health, Labor or Department of Planning and Natural Resources
commissioners regarding environmental certification of schools. Michael says she has had responses from all three commissioners. She wrote the Source Friday that she has made direct contact with two of them, and tried, but not made contact with the third. She did not elaborate on which agencies she had and had not heard from.
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