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Note the parent website set up to inform the community, at http://www.hartbroken.org/
CA: Hart High School Parents Start Website to Voice Community Concerns About School in Disrepair
The Signal
Original source: http://www.the-signal.com/?module=displaystory&story_id=47599&format=html
Hart High Starts Work on Repairs
By Jessica Marks
Signal Staff Writer
April 11, 2007
When Hart High School students were away for spring break, their school got a head start on a much-needed facelift - and school district officials found the school to be in better shape than previously thought.
Many issues that were thought to be serious concerns turned out to be nothing, Hart district officials said.
For instance, it was originally reported that the school's gym had no hot water for years.
An examination of the water heating system showed that someone had turned off the hot water at the switch perhaps a decade ago, and no one ever turned it back on.
"It's a little sad. A lot of the things ... were due to maintenance issues," said Rob Gapper, chief operating officer for the district.
Last week, various rooms were painted, leaky windows were patched and the William S. Hart Union High School District began pricing carpeting to replace the old stained and damaged carpet.
A non-functioning bathroom that leaked into a foods classroom was fixed, as were other bathrooms on campus.
The school was tested for mold and termites - issues that had been a tremendous concern before - and, for the most part, it tested negative for the presence of either, Gapper said.
The one exception, he said, was a single cabinet in a particular classroom that tested positive for mold. That cabinet had been storing substances that it should not have - and once those substances were removed and the area was cleaned, the room tested negative for mold as well.
But there are people who disagree that the testing is adequate.
A recently created Web site - www.hartbroken.org, which states that it's dedicated to the community voicing its concerns - is in stark contrast to the Hart district findings, claiming that buildings F, A and E all have an infestation of termites.
Sally Swiatek, a parent directly involved with HartBroken.org, said there are definitely bugs in the rooms, even now, according to reports from various sources like teachers, students and parents.
It's possible, she said, that the people in the room did not know the difference between termites and flying ants, for example.
Furthermore, it is her understanding that the school did air quality tests to see if the rooms were moldy.
Swiatek and other parents would like to be able to tell if they actually took swabs and samples of parts of the room - especially in areas that leak - to see if there was mold.
"I wouldn't say we're angry. I'd say we're uninformed," Swiatek said.
And they're willing to take a big stand to get that information in a timely manner.
Posted on their Web site are suggestions that the community should begin to call the district themselves to ask for answers.
Additionally, residents are asked to show up to board meetings carrying signs reading, "Fix our Broken Hart."
"The Web site is to fuel information, not fury," said Swiatek, who added that getting people angry is not the goal.
She pointed out that the quality of the teachers and programs at the schools are excellent and that the facilities should match that.
Copyright: The Signal
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