More than blankets needed to remedy Vets heating

By John Howell
Posted 1/24/17

If it was cold in some Veterans Memorial Junior High School classrooms last week, it’s because the windows were open, not just a bit but wide open.

It was cool. Some students even complained …

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More than blankets needed to remedy Vets heating

Posted

If it was cold in some Veterans Memorial Junior High School classrooms last week, it’s because the windows were open, not just a bit but wide open.

It was cool. Some students even complained that it was cold.

A grandmother, who asked not to be identified, told the Beacon her granddaughter had been told to bring a blanket to school. She had also heard that the air quality in the school was compromised by mold. The school administration as well as council and school committee members heard similar stories.

But, says Superintendent Philip Thornton, regular inspections have not found issues with air quality and that faculty concerned about the flow of air in classrooms have been advised to “crack” windows open by an inch and leave doors open. Until some windows were opened wide, Thornton said building temperatures ranged from 68 to 74 degrees.

“It was taken from opening the windows a bit to get circulation to opening the windows all the way and freezing the room,” Anthony Ferrucci, school Executive Director of Finance & Operations said Monday. He said heat in the school is running and that he will be back to teachers within another 10 days with a written outline to what kind of air quality tests could be performed and how to evaluate those readings.

Even so, Vets, built in the 1950s, is in need of major heating improvements along with air exchange systems. The steam baseboard heating system that is dependent upon a labyrinth of pipes and values that run in basement corridors hisses and leaks. Corroded valves and pipes have been patched and patched again. The system has long outlived its useful life, says Ferrucci. Replacing it is going to take an estimated $6 million and two years starting this summer. It is also going to take approvals from the City Council.

Do the current conditions, however, present a hazard to the faculty and students?

Thornton said there is no evidence to suggest that. He notes that the school’s patched up heating system has held together for years and there’s “no proof” to allegations of mold. Furthermore, he notes, this is the first time there have been multiple complaints over air quality.

“The high school [this is the first year it is a junior high school] has been that way for decades. It has not in one year changed dramatically,” he said.

Vets is the same school where 33 teachers reported sick on Dec. 14, the same day, as it turned out, that all secondary teachers were instructed to convert to an electronic grading system that the teachers union argued could not be enforced because it had not been negotiated as part of the contract. The Rhode Island State Labor Relations Board agreed and charged the School Committee with an unfair labor practice. The schools appealed to the Superior Court that vacated the charge. Then last month the state Supreme Court declined to review the Superior Court’s action, seemingly closing the case.

On Dec. 15, teacher attendance at Vets returned to customary levels, and by the following week all secondary teachers were using the electronic grading and scheduling system, which was acquired in 2011.

If air quality is on the minds of teachers, so, too, is the lack of a contract. The union has been without a contract since August 2015. Mediation broke off last fall but resumed with the new year as Mayor Scott Avedisian joined talks. He attended mediation last week, which is scheduled to continue this week.

Ferrucci explained that the department had planned to address the Vets’ heating system in two phases with the first phase being the conversion from a baseboard steam system to a natural gas fired roof and air system. The second phase would be the introduction of air exchangers. This would have spread the costs over several years. The state Department of Education that needs to approve the expenditure in order for the department to recover 38 percent of the costs favored doing both projects at once. Ferrucci said of the $5.1 million in bonding approved by the council last year, $4.8 million is still in reserve. He is looking for the additional $1.2 million to come from the $25 million bond issue approved by voters in 2006. Of that bond, $4,060,000 has not been issued. Releasing those funds would require council approval.

Meanwhile, the schools have identified $85 million in upgrades and improvements it hopes to accomplish over the next five years. The committee has approved a bond request for that amount that must gain council and General Assembly approvals in order to appear on a special election ballot this November. Of that $85 million, $6.7 million would be earmarked for Vets to address such issues as the elevator, electrical upgrades, LED lighting, asbestos abatement and to meet American Disabilities Act regulations.

Ferrucci agreed many projects are slated for Vets.

“Vets is the loudest squeaky wheel right now,” he said.

Comments

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  • richardcorrente

    $160,000,000 of taxpayers money and this is what the School Committee has to show for it?

    They spend $23,000,000 more than Cranston and have 1,300 less students and we have

    - teachers with no contracts,

    - a student population that went from 17,000 to 9,000

    - black mold - no heat - and a dozen other life threatening issues

    - more and more vacant buildings

    and a School Committee that spends tens of thousands on public relations, administrators, and litigation while refusing an honest audit to show where the taxpayers money goes.

    Do we even need a School Committee? Could the City Council do a worse job? I don't see how and it would save the taxpayers a ton. At least the City Council is somewhat accountable to the taxpayers. The School Committee adamantly refuses any level of responsibility or accountability to the people that are paying the tab.

    The School Committee feels "entitled" to take the taxpayers money without any responsibility as to how it is spent. That has to come to an end. Taxpayers just can't afford it!

    Happy Spring everyone.

    Rick

    Tuesday, January 24, 2017 Report this

  • ASmith

    @richardcorrente

    I think you might be basing that 23,000,000 off of the city budgets, not school budgets.

    Tuesday, January 24, 2017 Report this

  • davet1107

    Mr. Corrente,

    I'm replying to you as a Warwick resident, parent, and taxpayer and specifically not as a School Committee member. I need to correct some of your info. First, Cranston's budget is not $23mil less. I think their current year's budget is $150mil, or $11 milion less. Plus, our teachers and the district pay into Social Security and Cranston's don't,(roughly $5-$6 million) so we're effectively down to about a $5 millon dollar difference. I also think that we run more buses over a larger georgarphy than does Cranston so that further reduces that difference. Also, I think our teachers earn more than Cranston. Lastly, Cranston's schools twice sued the City under the Carrulolo Act for more funding- unsuccessfully - and ran deficits to the point where they owed the City over $6 million (I think it may have actualy been closer to $9 million). My point is that it's not $23 million and when you peel back the layers, there are legitimate explanations for the actual difference. You may not be aware that Cranston has recently bonded to complete their fire code upgrades - a road that Warwick has already gone down and completed to the tune of roughly $11 mllion. I'm also fairly certain that their School Department is not going to paying the principal & interest on that debt either unlike Warwick.

    The student poulation of 17,00 + students was back around the time Toll Gate was built or jkst before - somewhere around 1970. So your trajectory isn't really reflective of the last 20+ years and I don;t think really contributes to the discussion in any meaningful way.. Demographics are what they are and Warwick was built up and 'saturated' long before Cranston was (actually, I think Cranston has mnore buildable land left than does Warwick). Plus, Cranston doesn't have an airport that has taken hundreds of homes and caused hundreds of families to leave Warwick over the past 30 years.

    Also, the School's budget is audited annually by law, I believe. When you say the City Council is at least 'accountable to the taxpayers' I'd remind you that we same taxpayers who elect their City Councilors also elect their School Committee members so I don't quite see your point. Nor do I understand how not having a School Committee would save the taxpayers "a ton". I think that statement is silly on it's face.

    With respect to bonding, you should tour the schools to see what 25+ years of neglect has really wrought. It's impossible to fund the needed capital improvements out of the school's operating budget nor can you close enough buildings or lay off enough staff to obtain the necessary funds for those things that both SMMA and RIDE hasve determined needs to be done to our buildings. My felling is that we either give our students and teachers classrooms and conditions that are modern and conducive to 21st century learning or we don't - in the end. that will be the legacy we leave tomorrow's students and the rest of our community.

    David Testa

    Warwick resident

    Tuesday, January 24, 2017 Report this

  • davet1107

    Sorry, one final point:

    This year Cranston received $54.8 million is State Education funding. Warwick received $37.7 million. How's them apples??

    David Testa

    Tuesday, January 24, 2017 Report this

  • Thecaptain

    The fact of the matter is that for anyone to consider dumping millions of dollars into Vets or Pilgrim is simply ridiculous. These buildings are not worth putting money into and it is time that the residents demand a new school, or two new schools. We dont have new schools because of the unfunded liabilities that have been incurred from all of the lucrative contracts and post employment benefits that have been doled out simply to keep one man in office and drain the revenue from this city. The end result is urban decay which is so evident in the city.

    For those of you who are not in the construction business, new state of the art high tech schools cost $450.00 per square ft. to build. That is complete with furnishings, hardware and computer systems. High efficiency heating and cooling systems, fire protection, etc..

    If we have established a need for a new school than it's time to put the plan into action. Additionally, the SMMA needs to be overseen by a CM (construction management group) that has specialized in school construction. Renovations is not the way to go. After spending the proposed $90 million, we will still be left with aging decaying structures that will continue to require more maintenance. The recent disastrous results of the upgrades should be cause for concern for all residents and all parties that made the decisions leading up to the end result (contractors included) should not be involved in the future. Its time to hire a licensed construction superintendent to oversee all negotiations.

    Tuesday, January 24, 2017 Report this

  • Stella

    Captain

    Your spot on, Vets and Pilgrim were not built to last and the level of repairs needed is well beyond what should be spent. For all the people who comment on this please ask the administration to let you tour the entire buildings. Your jaw will drop when you see how they have been neglected. The numbers will balloon once construction begins and the scope of hidden damage, cost over runs, increases in the cost of building materials, change orders ect ect. Give the students what they deserve, a new campus. Don't waste another dime of my tax dollars on these dumps. Its time to hire a licensed construction superintendent to oversee all negotiations. Captain I stole your line. sorry

    Tuesday, January 24, 2017 Report this

  • LindaMc11

    Samples from parents taken in December.

    Team typhoon 7

    1. since October she's had a lot of stomach problems which never in the past has this ever happened she went to Sherman elementary and never had an issue with any stomach and headaches nothing. since school has started she has been constantly complaining of a stomachache every single day headache dizzy nausea pretty much every symptom she's been going to a a gastrologist for over three months now we've been to over two dozen appointments she also actually underwent some surgery for her stomach problem.

    Team lightening 7. ( 900 wing)

    1. 2.ear infections and really bad strep throat

    2. headaches, stomach aches, sore throat, sinus infections, bronchitis, dizziness, vomiting and coughing up blood.

    3. ear infection, sinus infection and strep

    4. Strep

    5. 2 respiratory infections, headaches almost every day, and sinus infections. My son has been out sick more times this year then ever before.

    6. 900 wing...strep throat, constant runny nose and sinus issues, more so than usual

    7 stomach aches, nausea/vomiting, and headaches.

    8, respiratory, runny nose, sinus, cough.I am not sure if related to this, sick more than usual since start of school...

    9. headaches almost daily. Some nausea too.

    Team tornado 7 c wing

    1. Respiratory Viral infection earlier in the year and then pneumonia just recently. Complains of headaches, dizziness, nauseous almost every day since starting school.

    2. Headaches

    3. Stomach aches,diarrhea everyday,headache,

    Team storm 7th B wing

    1. respiratory and throat infections since September. Headache , stomach aches and dizziness throughout the day. Coughing and very fatigued. Always has pus in her throat but not strep, very junky coughs for months now. Has not responded to antibiotics at all, we are on 4 different ones plus Claritin and Flonase for allergy and cough meds. She complains all the time of feeling sicker when she is at school.

    5. stomach pains and congestion

    Team earthquake 8 ( B 200's)

    1. respiratory infection for almost a month , it starts to get better and then it's back. She also has a lot of headaches. She has a literacy class in the 900 wing

    2. constant cough thought to be allergies and now has severe strep throat. Has Spanish in the 900 wing

    3.out for 1 full week with Pneumonia. Been back just over a week but still feels awful

    Team thunder 8 ( B wing up)

    1. Everyday headaches

    Tuesday, January 24, 2017 Report this

  • davet1107

    Building new buildings is nice but let's look at that as a practiical matter. Captain, I believe you're right with the $450 sq ft figure so let's build a new high school the approxomate size of Pilgrim - 200,000sq ft. That's $90 million. And we'd have to use current RIDE regs for sq ft per student so let's say it houses 1000-1200 kids. max (though I think it might really be closer to 900). What about the other 1500 high school students? Do we not do anything to those school buildings that those students are in so those in the new school have a modern functioning classroom and the rest stuck in the circa 1980 classrooms we curerently have? And what of the rest of the junior high and elementary students and the buildings that they're in? So, maybe we build a 'campus'? How many students would be in this campus? 2000? 3000? (though one of the loudest criticisms of consolidation was that bg schools are bad). What's that cost? $150 million? $200 million? Again, what do we do to the buildings that will house those other 5000 students not in the new campus? Nothing? They'd still need capital improvements.

    I would respectfully disagree that our schools are crumbling or not worth investing in, nor did SMMA's analysis even hint at that. I believe that, structurally, they are very sound. Again, they've been neglected but neglect in an of itself does not necessarily translate into tearing them down. Cranston East (older than any of our hgh schools) and Cranston West (about the same age as Pilgrim) are still functioning as high schools and there is no clamoring there for new high schools. Scituate (a much smaller district admittedly) has school buildingts that are older than just about all of our buildings and they're among the higher performing districts n the state - they're buildings are wired for the 21st century classroom. The difference is that those districts maintained their buildings and continue to maintain them better than Warwick has for the last 25 years.

    Practically speaking, we really have little choice but to invest in the capital improvements of our buildings. We need to bring them up to modern standards - the students and teachers, students, and community at large deserve that.. And once we've done that and bought another 20 yeatrs, then we can begin the outward look to build new buildings. But if we say no to a bond, then the teachers and students in todays inadequate classrooms (wtih inadequate electrical infrastructure, old HVAC's, lack of handicap accessibility, an on and on, will be in those same inadequate classrooms tomorrow. It's a fairly simple choice.

    David Testa

    Warwick resident

    Wednesday, January 25, 2017 Report this

  • WarwickfortheKids

    With the heating system and roof leaking for years, there is no question in my mind that there is mold in that school. Unless all recent construction projects were performed by mold remediation professionals and all construction project areas were sealed off from the rest of the school, there is a good chance spores were released and would explain an increase in health concerns this year. Air quality cannot be determined through inspections and mold can be in areas not visible. Inspections are recommended to identify any systems that are not functioning properly (such as leaky roofs and pipes), and temperature/humidity issues which can indicate mold is likely present. When system problems are found it is recommended to fix them. We all know these indicators at Vets have existed for years, they strongly suggest mold and because air testing for mold is nearly impossible, leadership needs to reach out to families with better information, plans, and options for any child exhibiting symptoms of a mold sensitivity. Some health issues that can develop from mold sensitivities can lead to chronic, serious conditions. This issue needs immediate response and has nothing to do with contract negotiations. It is the result of years of neglect that those currently in charge should not be faulted for but they will be judged by their response.

    Wednesday, January 25, 2017 Report this

  • WarwickfortheKids

    From article April 10, 2014

    “The roof is in horrendous shape; waiting another year adds more of a risk, which we shouldn’t take,” Jansson said. “Mold is a great concern, but the biggest problem is the roof is beyond its life expectancy.”

    We are being told the ceiling tile stains are from the old roof leaks so we know the roof was replaced but not the areas where they leaked into. So parents deserve to know exactly how this great concern from 2014 has been/will be addressed.

    Wednesday, January 25, 2017 Report this

  • Stella

    Dave

    Lets start with the number of students in Pilgrim now, so I guess we are way over 900 to 1,000. A campus Is more that one building, it is a community in it self. I think SEMMA final report shows more than 60 million needed at vets and pilgrim alone just to bring them up to code and keep them in usable condition. Current dollars, no design, engineering, or hidden problems. I guess with enough money you can fix anything. They also wanted vets closed for 1 yr. to complete the renovations. Math 52 weeks div. by 10 weeks ( summer Vac.) = 5 plus years. Just because another district schools are old but better maintained does not mean we in Warwick can't do better or do we want to be almost as good. Lastly there are always going to be parts of the district that are not equal in terms of facilities. Why they are now? Dave like I would tell my kids, shoot for the middle and end up at the bottom. Try advocating for the best money can buy, Great schools make Great communities.

    Wednesday, January 25, 2017 Report this

  • davet1107

    Stella,

    I understand what you're saying but we haave to look at some realities. Pilgrim currently houses about 1400 students. I don;t recall the exact dollars that SMMA recommended for Pilgrim & Vets. Ideally Vets would have closed for a year but to do that Aldrich & Gorton would have had to stay open. For them to stay open, we would have had to spend $2 million for the final phase of fire code work because the State Fire Marshal wouldn't grant any more delays on that on top if the 8 or 9 they had previously given us. So closing Vets was not really an option. I'm not comparing ourselves to others in the way you describe. MY point was that both those districts perform better than we do so it's not the buildings themselves that casue that achievement - it's what goes on inside the buildings that does. Too often we let the perfect be the enemy of the good.

    Bottom line is both SMMA & RIDE says that we need approximately $200 million to do everything. I'm saying that if we spent $200 million for all new schools, we'd be able to put, maybe, half our population in the new buildings. The oither half will be in our current buildings which still need capital inmprovements so where would those dollars come from? With respect to parity, that was a very significant issue during SMMA's hearings from parents and teachers. The very purpose of the bond is to bring, as best as possible, at least physical plant parity in terms of classrooms, technology capacity, etc. Your argument seems to acknowledge the lack of parity as something that's always going to be there. I'd disagree with that.

    Thursday, January 26, 2017 Report this

  • davet1107

    Stella,

    Also, I'd also add that the town of Lincoln is spending $58 million to remodel their high school (built in '65) which houses 1000 students. A new high school would have cost them $78 million so they chose to remodel. In our high schools alone, we have about 2.5x that

    Thursday, January 26, 2017 Report this

  • Thecaptain

    Dave,

    I would respectfully disagree with your statement that the schools are not falling apart. They are a disgrace to this community, particularly Vets and Pilgrim. They do not attract new families and business. They need to be replaced and bulldozed into the ground. We need two new schools, state of the art with all the tools and toys. My numbers are spot on the money $450/sq ft. Just finished several schools in MA. Also, be aware that SMMA has made numerous massive errors in calculating costs in other communities. Recently a 6.5 million dollar error in Lincoln. We cant keep putting band aids on amputations. How do you think I feel having lived in Warwick for 57 years and not being able to send my kids to high school here because of the failing structures. As a person who works in the construction community specializing in structures, in all good conscience, I could not place my kids in harms way and send them to our high schools.

    Read these parents statements above. Does there seem to be a trend of illness encountered by our children? This problem comes back to what I have been saying (and castigated for) for years. The administration has sold the city down the river with overly gracious and lucrative union contracts and now there is no money left for capital improvements. You guys complain that there is no money for chrome books, but where were all of the angry parents at the budget hearings when the mayor gave the glutton firefighters a 50% increase in sick pay bonuses. It's these abuses and many others that people are not screaming about that is sucking up your tax dollars now and in the future, and that will prevent any new school construction.

    Just look at the backgrounds of the people that are appointed on committees all over this city. Its insane, people are appointed for political reasons not because they're life's experience brings anything to the table. If your going to go to bond for $250 million, build 2 new schools, design a re-use plan for the existing schools , and put the kids into safe structures.

    Is anyone still wondering why all these kids are getting sick. Don't want your kids to be sick? 2 choices - build new schools or pay the price to send them to respectable schools.

    Thursday, January 26, 2017 Report this

  • Thecaptain

    Dave,

    I'm sure that you also understand that in terms of renovations, if the cost of renovations equals 50% of the current value of the property, than all existing grandfather clauses are gone and all new codes must be in conformance. So when you start to find unexpected issues, that cost puts you closer and closer into having to be in compliance with many new and very expensive codes.

    There is no cost savings in rehab, its money wasted.

    Thursday, January 26, 2017 Report this

  • Thecaptain

    One more thing Dave, SMMA DOES NOT have a licensed construction superintendent on the staff.

    Thursday, January 26, 2017 Report this

  • Stella

    Dave

    Build New ,Lets start with the two school s that educate the greatest population, VETS and PILGRIM then put a plan in place to build or renovate the others based on sound economics. I couldn't agree more with the Captain. I would like to think of building improvements like your insurance company thinks of your vehicle. Even if your vehicle is near new if the damage of a collision exceeds 70% of their accessed value ( not KBB) then it is a total loss. Why because they are afraid of the unknown. Think of it like the asbestos laden heating system at Vets. Where is the number for removal or are we just going to cover it up. So Lincoln could have had a new school for 20 million more. seems like they made a poor choice.

    Thursday, January 26, 2017 Report this

  • davebarry109

    These teachers are awful. Shameful. Just awful.

    Thursday, January 26, 2017 Report this

  • davet1107

    Stella, seriously? That's backwards, in my opinion. So we build a new Pilgrim (1400 students) and a new Vets (1200 w/grade 6) and THEN plan to renovate the rest? The cost of two schools will cost $120-150 million, in my estimation. So 1/3 of our students are all set and the other 2/3 get improvements when, exactly?

    Thursday, January 26, 2017 Report this

  • Stella

    Dave

    Two buildings one campus, YES for a start. Currently the larger population of middle and high school students are not even close to parity with the other half of the city. Or should I say the other 40% of middle and high students. Your not going to tell me the schools on the western side of the city are not in better shape than the eastern side. I guess you and I could debate this forever but I am never in favor of half baked band aid solutions to home or building repairs.These building should not be repaired like a strip plaza, they need to be built to public building standards. I do think the city needs to spend what is needed to replace these schools and I think it is your and other appointed officials job to begin selling that to the residents. It is a big number, almost as much as ONE of the unfunded pensions. But it is a fact that it will increase the tax base over time by increasing property values and making Warwick a go to city for home buyers and businesses. Just my Serious opinion.

    Friday, January 27, 2017 Report this

  • richardcorrente

    Dear Dave1107,

    First, congratulations on your election. You worked incredibly hard and you earned the victory.

    Thank you for your comment below where you point out that the same people that elect the City Council also elects the School Committee but doesn't that prove my point? And if we didn't have a School Committee wouldn't it save the taxpayers at least the salaries of the School Committee? We don't have a Police Committee, or a Fire Committee, or a Municipal Committee. Those budgets are controlled by the City Council. Why is Warwick's biggest budget, ($160,000,000) with the most amount of problems, (see above) controlled by an adversarial group hell bent on increasing their numbers (30%) while simultaneously decreasing the numbers of teachers (also 30%).

    David, you can ask any taxpayer "Which is more important, a teacher, or an administrator? and they will always say a Teacher!"

    So here is what I think you should do. Join forces with Karen Bachus, the only member who cares about Warwick students and actually help the students by putting their needs FIRST, or make a plan to disband the SC and let the City Council take over. Either way, the students will come out ahead. Shouldn't they come FIRST?

    Happy Spring everyone.

    Rick Corrente

    The Taxpayers Mayor

    Friday, January 27, 2017 Report this