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As NYC Teachers Head Back To School, City Says 10 School Buildings Aren't Safe Yet
By
Jessica Gould
and
Sophia Chang
Published Sep 8, 2020
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Jen Chung / Gothamist
By
Jessica Gould
and
Sophia Chang
Published Sep 8, 2020
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Most New York City public school teachers reported back to their schools Tuesday morning in the first phase of the school system reopening.
But Department of Education officials say a handful of buildings need better airflow—which has emerged as a major flashpoint in union negotiations—and they're asking staff there to stay home until the ventilation problems can be fixed.
Scrutiny of school ventilation has increased alongside evidence of how much COVID-19 spreads by air. The School Construction Authority’s Ventilation Action Teams have spent months evaluating almost 1500 buildings that hold the city’s public schools, and ten buildings need their ventilation systems fixed before staff and students can return. “They performed inspections to determine whether the ventilation systems, both mechanical and natural, in any room school staff or students might occupy are operating or are in need of repair,” said Nathaniel Styer, a DOE spokesperson, said in a release Monday.
While DOE officials said most repairs at these ten buildings can be made in a couple of days, they are scouting locations in case any school won't be ready by September 21st, the first full day for students who are enrolled in blended learning. Principals are also being told if individual rooms aren't safe so they can identify alternative spaces.
The ten buildings are: PS 45 Horace E. Greene School and PS 45 Horace E. Greene School Annex Building in Brooklyn; the Martin Luther King Jr. Education Complex (which houses six schools), PS M721, Leadership & Public Service High School, PS M094/Sixth Avenue Elementary School, Norman Thomas High School building (which houses five schools), and the High School of Economics and Finance in Manhattan; and PS Q222 and The Riverview School/PS 110 in Queens.
DOE
The DOE also plans to improve air circulation in the buildings by “installing portable High Efficiency Particulate Air (HEPA) filters in rooms. Flushing air two hours before and after occupation. Upgrading MERV-8 to MERV-13 filters where appropriate.”
As the biggest school district in the country, New York’s bold attempt to reopen schools for in-person learning was under intense scrutiny from the day that Mayor Bill de Blasio announced blended learning would commence this fall, expected to begin on September 10th. The United Federation Of Teachers union president Michael Mulgrew, pressing for more safety equipment, upgraded ventilation and mandatory testing for everyone in blended learning, had threatened the possibility of a strike if the city did not agree to their requests to delay reopening for further preparation time.
"Keeping everyone safe is our top priority. Inspections by the DOE and the UFT identified these serious ventilation issues, and we will continue to monitor these buildings and other schools to make sure all ventilation problems are solved,” Mulgrew said in a statement Monday. “Where repairs and upgrades cannot be made, we will work with the DOE to help find alternative space before students return September 21."
Listen to reporter Yasmeen Khan's radio story for WNYC:
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COVID-19
coronavirus
ventilation
schools reopening
Jessica Gould
Jessica is the education reporter for WNYC and Gothamist. During the Covid-19 pandemic, Jessica reported on the shutdown and reopening of the nation’s largest school system, highlighting the unprecedented impacts on learning, health and mental health for students, staff and families. Got a tip? Email [email protected]
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Sophia Chang
Sophia Chang is a former WNYC and Gothamist reporter.
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Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
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