Dare Elementary Parents Frustrated, Division Considers Portable Classrooms

By Amber Lester Kennedy Tuesday, September 27, 2011

Dare Elementary suffered water damage when Hurricane Irene hit the school, which was not secured due to ongoing renovations.

Extensive renovation projects were already behind schedule when Hurricane Irene swept over Dare Elementary. Because the contractor, American Veteran Construction, had not sealed the construction areas, wind blew water into the building, damaging insulation and sheetrock. Rain storms caused additional damage.

At Monday’s York County School Board meeting, board members, administrators and parents lamented the situation, which has displaced students from their classrooms and placed a heavy burden on Dare’s faculty and staff. Students in kindergarten through third grades are taking classes in the gym and the EXTEND Center. Fourth and fifth grade students are attending classes at Bethel Manor Elementary School, and students in the Primary Enrichment Program (PEP) are going to Mt. Vernon Elementary School. On Oct. 3, the EXTEND Center will be housed at Coventry Elementary.

Earlier this month, the division asked Marine Chemist, an environmental testing and inspection laboratory, to compile a remediation report to determine what steps must be taken to address the water damage. The report identified 45 areas where materials must be removed and replaced.

Since then, American Veteran Construction has hired its own industrial hygienist to make an independent assessment of damage to the building. Chief Operations Officer Carl James sent a letter to parents on Sept. 22 that indicated the contractor would have the results of that report this week and would meet with division staff to develop a remediation and project completion schedule.

Facing the possibility the students will be displaced further into the fall, the division is preparing for the possibility of bringing additional portable classrooms to the school. James estimates it would take at least six weeks to prepare power lines to make portable classrooms ready for use; he said they hoped to make a decision this week after meeting with the contractor. He added that the county attorney and assistant county attorney will attend the meeting.

Currently, the contractor is working to seal the building, but the ceiling is not secured. Floor tile work is almost completed and progress has been made in finishing the exteriors of new mechanical rooms added to the building. Students are attending all of their classes, including art, music and PE, in their makeshift classrooms, and large tents with picnic tables are available for them to eat outside or have outdoor play time.

The students attending Bethel Manor now have library access, and the division is working to give all Dare students better access to technology. Bus delays at Bethel Manor have prevented students from getting home within an hour, so the division has added one bus and Superintendent Eric Williams pledged to review pick-up and drop-off times to determine if another was needed.

Williams praised the staff’s ability to make the best of a difficult situation, but acknowledged that if his children attended Dare, he would want to know when they would be back in their classrooms. Parents agreed during the citizen comment period that followed.

Two parents warned that the situation will worsen as temperatures drop, rendering the tents unusable. One mother said she would like to see more frequent communications; so far, the division has sent three letters home. She also criticized the contractor, who is not providing fast answers. “Hurricane Irene was an act of God; not sealing the building was an act of incompetence,” she said.

Board Chair Mark Medford indicated the contractor has been slow to respond. “I think our patience is wearing thin,” he said. “Some questions have no answers. And they’re not providing information … and that’s all I should say about that.”

Another mother described the situation as a “logistical nightmare,” adding that her family has been torn apart, with her children attending different elementary schools. She requested that if the division decides to use portable classrooms, they establish a timeline of how long the students will be learning in the trailers.

“We need to get this right,” Williams said in response. “This is our kids’ education. This is a priority.”