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Detroit
mayor
Mike
Duggan
said
Monday
that 86
schools
are now
"100
percent
compliant
with
city
building
codes."
He added
that
eight
more
schools
need
work.
(Photo
by HB
Meeks/Tell
Us
Detroit) |
| |
Most
Detroit
schools
get Ok
from
City
Building
Dept.;
safe,
clean
classrooms
ready
for
students
By Karen
Hudson
Samuels/Tell
Us
Detroit
DETROIT
(Tell Us
Det) -
Students
returning
to
Detroit
Public
Schools
will
find
conditions
have
improved
over the
summer.
Mayor
Mike
Duggan
issued a
clean
bill of
health a
week
before
the
start of
a new
year,
saying
that 91%
of the
entire
district’s
school
buildings
have
received
Certificates
of
Compliance
with
Detroit
health
and
safety
codes.
School
officials
joined
the
Mayor
for a
news
conference
Monday
afternoon
at Bates
Academy
to
report
on
building
repairs
to
correct
health
and
safety
violations.
It was
back in
January
that
teachers
staged
sick-outs
to
protest
what
they
said
were
“deplorable
conditions”,
from
leaky
roofs
and poor
sewage
systems
to rat
infestations
and
mold.
The
Duggan
administration
took
action
immediately
and
since
that
time the
Detroit’s
Buildings,
Safety
Engineering
and
Environmental
Department
and the
Health
Department
conducted
more
than 400
inspections
of the
city’s
public
schools.
“Parents
should
be able
to send
their
children
to
school
without
worrying
that
their
health
and
safety
could be
at risk.
Detroit’s
families
deserve
no
less,”
Mayor
Mike
Duggan
said.
“I’d
like to
thank
the
leadership
and
facilities
staff at
DPSCD
for
making
these
repairs
their
highest
priority
over the
past
eight
months
and we
will
continue
to work
together
to
ensure
our
school
buildings
are up
to
code.”
Tests
showed
80% of
schools
with
lead
levels
below
the EPA
threshold.
For the
21
schools
with
elevated
levels,
school
staff
worked
with the
Detroit
Health
Department
to find
ways for
lowering
lead
levels.
Regular
flushing
of
pipes,
creating
a
plumbing
profile
for the
school
and
retesting
the
water
after
making
corrections
were
among
the
corrective
actions
taken.
“Facility
readiness
on the
first
day of
school
is
important
for our
students,
staff
and
community
said
Alycia
Meriweather,
interim
Detroit
Public
Schools
Community
District
superintendent.”
While
progress
has been
made,
eight
schools
will
require
major
roof
work and
other
repairs
to earn
their
certificate
of
compliance.
Work is
expected
to begin
the next
weeks,
upon
contract
award,
to the
following
schools:
Breithaupt
Career
and
technical
Cody
Schools
Detroit
International
Academy
for
Women
Emerson
Elementary-Middle
School
Mann
Learning
community
Sampson
Webber
Turning
Point
Academy
Vernor
Elementary
Reports
on
building
and
health
inspections
are
posted
on City
of
Detroit
website
at
www.detroitmi.gov
Parents
and
teachers
are
encouraged
to
report
any
outstanding
concerns
through
the
website.
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