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The Boston City Council has, on June 3, 2009, ordered a review of the situation re: Persistent Environmental Problems at the
Louis
Agassiz
Elementary School, Boston, MA, in accordance with the policy that the City of Boston has adopted - to oversee Boston's school environments. We heartily commend the Boston City Council for its proactive stance in taking the Boston Public Schools to task for neglectfully and dangerously maintaining school buildings, which contributes to the major problem of asthma and illness in the greater Boston area. We encourage every city and town to oversee their school districts and force them to be accountable, to provide healthy schools for our nation's children. (SMH)
City of
Boston
In City Council
Order Regarding
Persistent Environmental Problems at the
Louis
Agassiz
Elementary School
By
Councillors Chuck Turner and John Tobin
June 3, 2009
Whereas, the Louis Agassiz Elementary School began to experience problems with air quality and mold during the 1980s; and
Whereas, concern over environmental problems at the Agassiz in the nineties, led then Councilor Maura Hennigan to sponsor and lead passage of an ordinance to have twice yearly inspections of air quality at each school; and
Whereas, despite the investment of millions of dollars since the mid nineties to remedy the
environmental problems, there continue to be problems of water infiltration, apparently leading to a continuation of mold and air quality problems; and
Whereas, poor school environmental conditions can affect health and learning and
Whereas, the Agassiz school student population has a high rate of children with asthma making them more vulnerable to poor environmental conditions and
Whereas, teachers document respiratory illnesses that they believe are caused by the environmental problems; and
Whereas, the school population has declined from a maximum enrollment of 900 to 500; and
Whereas, some believe that the significant decline in enrollment is connected to student and parental concerns regarding environmental problems at the Agassiz; and
Whereas, teachers complain about respiratory illnesses that they believe are caused by the environmental problems. Therefore Be It
Ordered, that the appropriate committee of the City Council hold a hearing and invite representatives of the Boston School Department to review the history of the environmental problems at the Louis Agassiz Elementary School; to explain why the water infiltration problems continue to exist despite capital improvements over the last ten to fifteen years; to explain why they believe that the present capital improvement plans will cure the problem while past strategies have not succeeded; and to explain why scheduling window replacement in an occupied building will not affect the air quality, particularly while the building is occupied by students and staff who already have air quality related health problems. And Be It Further,
Ordered, that the public, particularly, parents and students be invited to testify.
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