Hudson County Freeholders Support PCUE's Campaign for Healthy Schools

In its meeting today, May 8, 2008, Hudson County Board of Freeholders passed a resolution supporting PCUE's call to action to create healthy schools for Jersey City children. The resolution also recognized April 28 as National Healthy School Day. Please read the text of the resolution below:

RESOLUTION RECOGNIZING NATIONAL HEALTHY SCHOOLS DAY

AND SUPPORTING THE CREATION OF HEALTHY SCHOOLS

FOR JERSEY CITY CHILDREN

WHEREAS, “National Healthy Schools Day” observances in communities nationwide held on April 28, 2008 highlighted the impact of school facilities and the school environment on child health, development and academic achievement; and

WHEREAS, a healthy learning environment heightens student attendance and performance and contributes to the comfort, health and well-being of students and staff; and

WHEREAS, indoor air quality in school facilities can affect attendance, concentration and performance by both children and teachers who normally spend thirty to fifty hours each week in school buildings; young children with special needs are especially vulnerable to toxic mold and chemical exposure, which can affect their development, cause upper respiratory illnesses and contribute to learning disabilities; and

WHEREAS, there are 29,288 students in the Jersey City school district, 2,900 teachers and numerous other school staff, all of whom spend an important part of their day in public schools across the city; and

WHEREAS, during this school year, thousands of school children in Jersey City’s public schools have had unpleasant experiences because of unhealthy conditions in their schools, including: Public School No. 15, which closed for 3 weeks because of mold problems in the gym; Public School No. 16, which closed a trailer classroom for kindergarten children because of mold; and Public Schools Nos. 11, 23, 31, 6, 25 and 27, where drinking water was shut off and bottled water was distributed because of high levels of lead in the drinking water; and

WHEREAS, the Statewide Education Organizing Committee (S.E.O.C.) is an organization of public school parents and community leaders from urban and low-income school districts who have come together to fight for improvements in the education system; Parents and Communities United for Education (PCUE), a local chapter of the S.E.O.C., is a grassroots organization of parents, grandparents and concerned members of the Jersey City community committed to the improvement of education and the creation of schools that are healthy and safe; and

WHEREAS, PCUE’s call to action includes a 4-point proposal for safe and healthy schools, for implementation by the school district, consisting of: 1) providing parents and the community the results of drinking water tests in all schools and the plans for correcting any identified problems; 2) creating a standing committee at the Jersey City Board of Education that will be exclusively responsible for health and environmental safety of schools; 3) creating an indoor air quality team at the district level in accordance with the Environmental Protection Agency’s suggested model; and 4) issuing semi-annual health and environmental safety report cards for each school.

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED by the Hudson County Board of Chosen Freeholders as follows:

1. The Board does hereby recognize April 28, 2008 as “National Healthy Schools Day”; and

2. The Board supports healthy school policies in cooperation with school officials, school parents and community partners; and

3. The Board endorses the PCUE’s 4-point proposal for safe and healthy schools.