Press Release:PARENTS TELL BOARD: TIME FOR ACTION ON UNSAFE WATER AND AIR IN CITY SCHOOLS

Parents and Communities United for Education (PCUE)

JC chapter of Statewide Education Organizing Committee (SEOC)

169-A Martin Luther King Drive, Jersey City, NJ 07305

For Immediate Release

Contact:

Telissa Dowling-201-209-1607

Loyda Goldston-973-204-4121

April 10,2008

PARENTS TELL BOARD: TIME FOR ACTION ON UNSAFE WATER AND AIR IN CITY SCHOOLS

On Thursday April 17, 2008, at the regular monthly meeting of the Jersey City Board of Education, Parents and Communities United for Education (PCUE) will present over 600 signatures in support of its health and safety proposal to the members of the Board and Superintendent Dr. Charles Epps. This meeting will take place at school No. 11 on Bergen Ave. and Academy St. from 6 to 8pm. Groups of parents from all Jersey City public schools are among the people who have signed the petition. Concerns regarding school health and safety are common among parents as well as many teachers, school staff, and administrators. Recent revelations that high levels of lead were found by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency in six Jersey City schools have sparked alarm because, to date, Jersey City Public Schools officials have not announced a timeline to test 39 remaining Jersey City school buildings.

Mrs. Edna William, a grandmother of two children in PS 34 said, “We are going to be at the BOE meeting to make a statement that we need immediate actions, not just promises.” She added, “School officials told us that they would issue report card and notify parents about testing the drinking water. But, as of yet, there are no specific commitments and no dates.”

Another parent, Zaida Oyola, with a child in school number 8, said, “Our children deserve the best. They need to get a great education as well as schools that are healthy. We are determined to safeguard our children’s well-being while they are at school.”

Problem affects thousands

During this academic year thousands of children in our public schools have been exposed to potential health and safety hazards due to unhealthy conditions in their schools. Mold problems caused the sudden shut-down of PS 15 for three weeks. In February, local media revealed high levels of lead in drinking water for six schools (11, 23, 31, 25, 6, 27, and 25), a health hazard that school officials were aware of for more than a year. There are 39 other school buildings that have not yet been tested for lead. Lead exposure in young children can impair children’s cognitive, social, and motor development.

Mold in pre-K trailer classrooms in school 16 is prompting school officials to consider moving students to PS 4, a move that would considerably overcrowd the school while forcing students to travel outside their neighborhood. Many Jersey City children suffer from asthma attacks triggered by their school environment.

PCUE's Proposal for Reform

PCUE has developed a proposal to address health and safety hazards in our public school and urges Dr. Epps and the Jersey City Board of Education to seriously consider and adopt the following four points:

1. Following the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s communication guidelines, Jersey City District should immediately notify parents of its timeline for testing drinking water and let them know when the results will be available. It should also designate a contact person with the necessary authority to communicate with parents regarding lead issues and address their concerns.

2. Create a standing committee of the Board of Education that is exclusively responsible for health and environmental safety of our schools. Three parents should be a part of this committee.

3. Create an Indoor Air quality Team following EPA guidelines at the district level. This team should partly consist of parents.

4. Issue semi-annual health and safety report cards for each school to parents of children in Jersey City beginning in August 2008. The report card should be sent to parents via mail and posted on the District’s website.

PCUE is a grassroots organization of parents, grandparents, and concerned members of the community that is a chapter of the Statewide Education Organizing Committee of NJ. PCUE is committed to organize parents and all Jersey City communities to improve education for our children and create schools that are healthy and safe