News tests show Narrowsburg school
okay for lead

Temporary high Lead levels
force relocation

	TRR photo by Tom Kane Construction debris has moved some pupils out of the Sullivan West at Narrowsburg elementary school, currently under renovation. (Click for larger image)

By TOM KANE

NARROWSBURG — After more than 20 workers certified to do lead cleanup scoured the Narrowsburg building last weekend, tests conducted subsequent to their cleaning came in negative.

“There were some insignificant traces, but on the overall, the building is clean,” said Sullivan West Superintendent of Schools Michael Johndrow on Tuesday morning, April 30.

Last week, because of higher than normal readings of lead, school officials moved first, second and third grade pupils out of their classrooms into the church hall of St. Francis Xavier Catholic Church next door. Fourth grade pupils are now using a modular building that is on school property.

A routine reading conducted the previous Monday, April 22, showed levels that were a bit high but still within acceptable limits, Johndrow said. At a staff meeting on Tuesday morning, he told of these reading and said that additional tests would be taken immediately.

“When these results came in on Thursday at the morning meeting with the children, two out of 25 scores were over the limit,” Johndrow said. The decision was then made to move the second and third grade immediately to other parts of the building.

On Friday morning, as a further precaution, the children were moved to St. Francis and to the modular.

The classrooms in question are directly under the work area on the second floor where workers are involved in major renovation. Johndrow said the decision as to whether to keep children in temporary housing will be made after more information is gleaned from further testing and from the construction company.

Johndrow said that, while levels in four classrooms were above normal, students were not in any danger of lead poisoning.

A number of parents have had blood tests taken of their children, but no results have been returned as yet.

Other parents have removed their children from school, some permanently and others temporarily.

“The normal absentee level at the school is usually eight or 10 pupils,” Johndrow said “Last Friday, 30 pupils were absent and on Monday 40, but they weren’t all the same students.”

“It’s understandable that a lot of parents are upset,” said Lisa Lander, who has two children in the school. “They’re concerned for their children. I feel comfortable with what the school district is doing now.”

Other parents were upset that they were not informed early enough after tests of the rooms were taken. “If they had informed us from the very start about some of the problems that might happen and how they would address them if they surfaced, I think most parents would not object,” said Peter Pierce of Cochecton, a parent of two. “And if they told us right away when they had a problem and not waited, we would have cooperated. I think there isn’t the best level of communication here.”

Johndrow said that for the past three weeks, he has been sending frequent memos home with the children, and meeting with parents after school to inform them what was happening and listen to their concerns.

The Narrowsburg school building, which was built in the 1950s, is undergoing major renovations as it is being recreated from an antiquated K-12 central school to a more contemporary elementary school.