Distrust undermines school culture

What was a matter of failed school fire alarms has become an issue of trust that threatens school administration efforts to address the city’s aging schools.

On Monday City Council members Ed Ladouceur, D-Ward 5, Jeremy Rix, D-Ward 2 and Donna Travis, D-Ward 6, faulted Superintendent Philip Thornton and school administrators for providing them with less than accurate information. They were also critical that teachers and parents did not learn of inoperative fire alarm systems at Norwood and Holliman Schools for nearly a month, at which time the information was confirmed by a parent.

On Tuesday Thornton said the failed alarm systems – 12 schools have similar vintage systems – are all part of a lengthy list of school deficiencies that need to be addressed. The Council Finance Committee chaired by Ladouceur heard earlier this year the School Committee’s request for an $85 million bond issue that schools had hoped to bring before the voters in a special election this November. As the state Department of Education has conducted a study of school deficiencies, Ladouceur reasoned councilors should get a copy of that report when it becomes available in May before acting on the school request.

As Thornton sees it, the district is going to continue experiencing problems and the failed alarms are symptomatic of long delayed repairs and periodic upgrades. He noted, for example, that the Toll Gate alarm system has not been upgraded since the school opened in 1972. As an aside, he pointed out that during Tuesday’s rainstorm there were roof leaks at Toll Gate, Wickes and Vets. The Vets roof is under warranty, but the department had to make repairs to the two other schools.

Thornton recommends “workshops” with the council to review conditions of Warwick schools and hopefully gain their support of a bond that would require voter approval.

But building a trusting working relationship between the council and the school administration promises to be problematic. Regardless of school efforts to be inclusive and transparent, schools still have the final say on department operations and how it will spend its budget once it has been approved.

In all likelihood, conditions promise to become more contentious in the upcoming weeks as the mayor drafts his budget and the council, as some members have promised, looks to trim if not contain costs.

On Tuesday night, Thornton released a $167 million proposed budget calling for an additional $4.8 million in city funding primarily to implement teacher raises that would be part of a contract that has yet to be negotiated; cover projected health car cost increases and purchase Chromebooks for high school students. The committee will consider the budget tonight at 6:30 at Vets.

Such significant matters, however, threatened to be overshadowed by day-to-day complaints and council frustrations over what they consider to be less than complete information and, at worst, deliberate efforts to withhold the information.

The failed alarms at Norwood and Holliman have become that flashpoint.

At Monday’s council meeting, Ladouceur recounted a meeting convened at the request of Rix, where school administrators told them no fire drills were conducted after the alarm systems went down, only to later learn fire drills had been held at both schools.

“A month later and the leadership did not know about the fire drills,” said Ladouceur.

The councilman was also critical of a septic system backup at Vets Junior High, where wastewater flooded the floor of an art room. Ladouceur was sent a photo of the flooding about two weeks after the incident. He responded by visiting the school with School Committee member Karen Bachus. Although assured the flooding was properly cleaned up with disinfectants, Ladouceur questioned if conditions had been tested and whether school department assurances could be trusted.

Rix called the situation “a sad state of affairs…the super didn’t inform the other four members [of the school committee about the fire alarms], the council or the teachers. I can’t fathom why the superintendent didn’t tell the teachers.”

Rix also questioned why administrators said no fire drill had been conducted when, in fact, they had.

“Why is it getting information is like pulling teeth?” said Rix. He said restoring trust would be difficult.

But Travis didn’t give that much of a chance. She said she has “no trust” in the school administration of the School Committee. She noted how in appealing for the release of $4 million in bond funds to make school repairs – principally replacing the Vets heating system and installation of an air exchange system – the administration never raised the issue of the inoperable alarms. She also finds fault with plans to provide air conditioning at Gorton, as it is re-purposed for school administrative offices when schools face safety issues such as the alarms.

“They are not telling us anything. I’ve had it,” she said.

Thornton sees no recourse. Building new schools, as some have suggested, he doesn’t believe is a viable alternative given the costs (about $100 million per school) and the community’s aversion to taking on added debt.

“These items [the list of improvements and repairs] are not going to go away.”

He agrees better communications are needed. He also takes responsibility for not informing teachers of the failed alarms. He said new control boards costing $9,000 each will be installed at the Norwood and Holliman alarms and over the summer the systems will be replaced at a cost of about $100,000 each. As for Vets, he said the system would be linked to the sewers.

And how is that going to happen?

“It’s about getting everyone together and getting a plan in place.”