Narrowsburg parents criticize superintendent

By TOM KANE

NARROWSBURG — Over 40 parents met with Sullivan West School Superintendent Michael Johndrow and a panel made up of two representatives of Turner Construction and two New York State Board of Health officials.

“Your credibility has taken a hit,” one parent told Johndrow.

“We’ve got a serious communication problem here,” another parent said.

The meeting, which was held Thursday evening, May 7, was the third such meeting between parents and school officials to air anxieties over conditions at the Narrowsburg school building, currently under heavy renovation while students remain in attendance.

“Your number one concern is for your kids, I know that,” Johndrow said. “And they’re our number one concern too.”

Two weeks ago, asbestos levels in two classroom were found to be higher than normal standards but were not serious enough, according to school and Turner officials, to close the school.

Two outspoken parents, who attended the meeting, seemed to accept the explanation of officials, but removed their children from the school the next day.

Lead readings from tests in one section of the building came in on Wednesday afternoon of this past week above the standard in two out of 25 scores. School officials on Thursday morning moved first, second and third grade students to the neighboring St. Francis Xavier Parish Hall, and placed the fourth class in a modular building that was not being utilized.

“The district should have warned us at the beginning exactly what they were going to do in the building, what could go wrong and what they would do about it,” said Matt Mullin, parent of a third grader. “If they had, a lot of this anxiety wouldn’t have happened.”

Mark Horton, the Turner representative who is at the site every day and who has two small children attending the school, said, “Anxiety has come out of what is unknown, not what is known.”

Horton said he has no qualms about his children attending the school. “I feel that secure about our efforts to keep the school lead- and asbestos-free,” he said.

“People think children are walking around with lead all over the place,” said parent Barbara McPhail. “That’s just not true. This building is tested so often that it’s cleaner than any other building in the community.”