Diaz calls for further action on behalf of PS 51 families

Walcott speaks to PS 51 parents last week.
Photo by Miawling Lam.

Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz Jr. has issued a letter to City Schools Chancellor Dennis Walcott, urging the Department of Education to take action on a number of specific issues concerning the relocation of P.S. 51/Bronx New School from its former home at 3200 Jerome Avenue (We'll have a story on that for you tomorrow).

Diaz, while applauding Walcott's handling of the messy situation, demanded he take further action to ensure this school year start off as easy as possible for the relocated children.

...we are less than three weeks from the start of the new school year and the Department of Education has yet to publish the TCE test reports, sign the lease on the alternate facility, disseminate the new school location to all parents or announce new bus routes and pick-up schedules. In addition, the DOE has not set a date for the school open house, which my office requested at the August 14, 2011, and was publicly promised at the parents meeting on August 18, 2011, nor has the DOE provided a streamlined process for parents who wish to transfer to their zoned school.

Jump below for the full letter. And while you read it, wonder to yourself: How would Cathie Black have handled the situation?

Dennis Walcott
Chancellor
Department of Education
Tweed Courthouse
52 Chambers Street
New York, NY 10007

RE: P.S. 51 TCE Contaminations and Relocation

Dear Chancellor Walcott:

Thank you for sending representatives from the School Construction Authority, Department of Health, and Department of Education to meet with my staff on August 14, 2011, and discuss the Bronx New School – P.S. 51 TCE findings. We appreciate their efforts to make the best of what has been a difficult situation for all involved. To that end, we are less than three weeks from the start of the new school year and the Department of Education has yet to publish the TCE test reports, sign the lease on the
alternate facility, disseminate the new school location to all parents or announce new bus routes and pick-up schedules. In addition, the DOE has not set a date for the school open house, which my office requested at the August 14, 2011, and was publicly promised at the parents meeting on August 18, 2011, nor has the DOE provided a streamlined process for parents who wish to transfer to their zoned school.

I applaud your leadership in enhancing the protocols for environmental review of city leased properties which identified the TCE. However, we still have significant work ahead, the source of the TCE contamination at 3200 Jerome Avenue has yet to be identified. Consequently, we have no way of knowing when the contamination started, nor whether there were conditions that may have caused fluctuations in the level of TCE exposure. Without that information, we cannot properly assess the health risks to students, teachers, administrators and other staff over the last 20 years in which the
building had been in operation as a public school facility.

Moreover, while the DOE has communicated its willingness and desire to help the parents through this transition, it has not articulated any deadlines or dates as to when these deliverables will be received. I respectfully request the DOE execute on the following promises no later than August 26, 2011:

• Publish on your website the list and schedule of bus routes that have been drawn.
• Release copies of all environmental testing, reports and data from both P.S. 51 and the new facility at St. Martin of Tours, located at 695 East182nd St, Bronx, NY 10457.
• Release an inventory of the light fixtures at both the new and old facility verifying they have been tested and are free of PCBs.
• Schedule a date for the open house at the new school facility.
• Schedule dates for separate meetings with Department of Health and State
• Department of Health to discuss the health concerns of both parents and staff members.
• Announce a plan for how parents will be notified of the open house and bus routes. Mailing a letter by itself will not be sufficient, parents should receive follow up communications via email and phone to confirm they received the information and answer any questions.
• Schedule direct enrollment sessions for parent seeking information on transfer opportunities and other logistical and operational questions in regards to the start of the school year.

Lastly, our office is actively working to disseminate information on this issue to parents and impacted residents as it is released. We are fully prepared to assist in helping families through this transition and I ask that you keep my staff fully informed of developments in a timely fashion.

Sincerely,

Ruben Diaz Jr.
Bronx Borough President