Are our kids safe in Chatham County schools?

By Gerald Totten
Posted Saturday, August 11, 2007

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Chatham County, NC - Much has been said about one of the Chatham County School’s strategic plan goals, “Healthy Students in Safe, Orderly and Caring Schools.” Every school has made a presentation of its School Improvement Plan designed to convey its interpretation of how it can best meet that goal.

No telling how many hours are spent by teachers and individual school staffs putting a shine on their presentations to the Board of Education. Those presentations are well done with handouts, power point videos and narrations also generally tying up several members of each school at a Board of Education meeting.

In addition to the School Improvement Plan, schools were required to submit their budget requests for capital outlay funds using that same goal as justification for the dollars requested.

Do they really do as they say or are these platitudes to satisfy some administrative requirement of higher echelon?

My examination as one of two new members of the Board of Education of several of the pieces put together makes me wonder if this activity really isn’t just an exercise in futility. Much of what the school presents in satisfaction of this “Healthy Students in Safe, Orderly and Caring Schools” requirement isn’t really acted upon. Some of which is the individual school’s lack of follow through but a great deal, mainly budgetary, falls upon the central office and, in turn, the Board of Education.

Chatham County Fire Marshall’s office makes two fire hazard inspections per year and the Chatham County Health Department schedules one annually. I requested copies of the annual inspections for the past school year from the County Departments and have studied them as well as compared them. Not surprisingly they confirm what I have heard from parents and teachers and seen in my school visits. The recent school tours by the Chatham County Commissioners along with members of The Board of Education also confirmed a number of issues which call into question health and safety issues, some of which have existed for years.

First, the Fire Marshall’s reports are quite detailed as they should be. Once the inspection is made and the report is delivered to the principal, the school system has 30 days to make corrections and then a re-inspection ensues. Corrections are made and the re-inspection follows confirming the corrections. The very next inspection develops a similar list of deviation from safety. In other words, most permanent corrections are not made, just those needed to pass the re-inspection.

The health inspections are different in that they are only made once in a year. A number of them this past school year (July 1, 2006 - 30 June 30, 2007) were not made until school was dismissed and corrections have yet to be made.

A common theme between the two professional inspections was the filth and poor housekeeping such as storage closets overstuffed with materials some blocking doors and ventilation systems, debris on floors and materials stacked to the ceilings preventing air circulation as well as providing a fire hazard.

Turning attention solely to the health inspections we see bathroom stalls need replacing, hand washing sinks being used improperly, uncovered and unsealed food in the kitchens, dirty light lenses, leaking ceilings, commode seats need replacing, missing and broken flooring tiles, dirty filters, some mold, plumbing repairs at drinking fountains and flushing fixtures, vent fans clogged with dirt and debris and a number of schools with torn or filthy carpeting. These items were found in several schools. To be certain some schools were much better than others and clearly show attention to details but every school had one or more issues.

This budget year the Chatham County Commissioners approved over two million dollars for capital outlay projects which should cure some of the identified deviations from good health issues.

The safety issues are more complicated. Until the budget is actually approved, I don’t believe the Board of Education will be able to determine what still needs to be done such as enclosing walkways to prevent unfettered access to schools, security lighting, enlarging gyms and repairing gym and stage floors to prevent injury, new weight lifting room repairs and equipment, replacing moldy and unserviceable carpeting and other related issues.

At the Board of Education meeting on August 20 a preliminary report of ongoing facility needs will be made and a final report on 10 September. This final report is anticipated as being the one to be delivered to the Board of Commissioners on 17 September. That report should be the basis for justifying a request for an additional $6 millions in funds which might be made available.

Gerald Totten is a member of the Chatham County Board of Education