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School And District At Odds After Leak Damages Byrneville Elementary
June 22, 2012
A leaky roof caused damage inside the Byrneville Elementary School media center, and exactly who will pay for the repairs has become a point of contention between the school and the school district.
The damage happened during the weekend of June 9-10, the same weekend that flood waters caused damage to several school district properties in the Pensacola area. While parts of the Pensacola metro received up to two feet of rain, a WEAR Weathernet station located at Byrneville Elementary recorded 1.25 inches of rain on Saturday, June 9 and 3.56 inches of rain on Sunday, June 10.
The problem, according to Byrneville Principal Dee Wolfe-Sullivan was not flooding — it was rain pouring through the ceiling. Discovered on Monday when employees returned to work, the leak damaged ceilings, walls, carpets and bookshelves. The library’s materials collection was essentially unharmed, with the school losing about a dozen magazines. A computer lab located in the same portable building as the media center received little damage except for wet carpet.
As a charter school, Byrneville Elementary is different than most schools in the county. Byrneville — not the school district – is responsible for paying operational costs and is responsible for all of the physical contents at the school.
Upkeep and maintenance on campus buildings is the responsibility of the Escambia County School District, including what Superintendent Malcolm Thomas described as the “vintage portable” building housing the library.
But the problem lies with which party is responsible with replacing carpet in the building, and whether or not the leak was caused by poor maintenance on the building by the county, potentially making the district liable for damage to the school’s contents.
Shawn Dennis, the assistant superintendent of operations, said the school district responded after being notified of the leak. He said the district, per its contract with the charter school, will look at repairs needed to the building itself, including walls and electrical systems.
“We have a work order system, and we have been responsive to every work order on that building,” Dennis said Thursday morning during an Escambia County School Board workshop.
“Are we saying that we feel we have no responsibility? What else are we going to do?”, asked Bill Slayton, District 5 board member.
Dennis replied that he did not feel damage to the contents, including carpet, were the responsibility of the county school district.
“The carpet came with the building. It’s not like the bookcases that I could move,” Wolfe-Sullivan told the board. “I feel it is the district’s responsibility to take care of the carpet.”
Thomas said he was concerned not just about the current leak damage, but the overall status of the aging school complex.
“You’ve got a very old building; that building is not going to last forever,” he said. “We gave that building up a long time ago because it was not suitable.”
Thomas told Wolfe-Sullivan that he wants to hear plans for capital improvements at the school. “There’s got to be a better long term solution…we are going to have to think about the building and how you are going to house the students,” he added.
Wolfe-Sullivan said that the she has spoken with the Byrneville Elementary board of directors about building a new school, but that is not going to happen in the near future.
No action was taken by the school board concerning the leak at Thursday’s meeting. Instead, Wolfe-Sullivan, Dennis and other district employees will continue their negotiations.
In the meantime, Wolfe-Sullivan said she is just worried about having the building repaired by the time students return in August. And she maintains the carpet and perhaps her contents damage will ultimately be the responsibility of the school district.
“The building must not have been maintained properly if it leaked from just the rain we had,” she said. “I think the district is responsible.
Pictured top: Byrneville Elementary School Principal Dee Wolfe-Sullivan addresses the Escambia County School Board during a workshop meeting Thursday morning. Pictured top inset: Byrneville Elementary School. Pictured bottom inset: Congressman Jeff Miller speaks to students inside the now damaged Byrneville Elementary media center. Courtesy photo for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Comments
15 Responses to “School And District At Odds After Leak Damages Byrneville Elementary”
The man beside her would be david pittman he is with the union. Not gonna help much for sure
By the way who is the guy sitting to the side ? Was this just chewing of the jaw, or was he not liking what Mrs Sullivan was saying? Maybe he just wanted to jump up and say “JUST PUT IN NEW CARPET”!!!!!!!!
I didn’t like Mr. thomas at first, but as time went by I have come to respect him, I know his hand are tied and his powers limited which is a good thing . I see fund raisers in the future of BES.
The stage is in need of serious cosmectic repair,as a community we could get in there and work on it, I can’t do much physical but I can tote to the ones who can!!!
Anyone interested get in touch with Mrs Sullivan and the board they are the ones to say if we can and when we can.
North County Man’s opinions, sincere as they may be, seem to be formed without accurate information. To correct, not to criticize:
The main building, though quite old, is not in bad condition. It is structurally very sound. Its mechanical systems have been updated. Of course small problems turn up from time to time but they are quickly and effectively addressed by the Charter board and the principal. The Fire Marshal has praised the present condition of the entire campus.
Perhaps most important here is the point that the entire Byrneville community got behind the charter school movement, and supported and contributed the formation of the Byrneville Elementary Charter School, Inc., because they wanted to keep THEIR school in THEIR community when the District abandoned them and closed it for economic reasons. That is why the Board turned down the county’s offer to move the school elsewhere. Byrneville has had a community grade school since the days of of the Great Depression and they should be especially proud of two things with respect to it — that they, as a community, saved it when they were abandoned by the District; and that the school, a D school the last year it was run by the district, has been an academic leader in the county from the first year it was a charter. In fact the only year it wasn’t an A school is the year a technicality in the state grading laws forced the District’s average on one class’s grades.
One other point: The county could do a lot worse than Malcom Thomas for superintendent. He is far, far better a choice than his two immediate predecessors, tha last of whom was arguably the least-qualified superintendent the system has ever had from the standpoints of personal and professional morals, ethics, humility, and knowledge. Ms. Green is right that a voting decision should not be made solely on the basis of carpet at Byrneville.
To North Country Man:
They closed Century for reason we all know but no one says out loud so why would you want to put Byrneville students there?!!!!!! Move Century students back to this school if it is that good, I think it was a dumb move anyway. I believe Byrneville School is important and the Principle and staff or wonderful and the student body is not a bunch of stupids who don’t count.
The north end really doesn’t count to the Escambia co district, ONLY when they want our vote!
We would love to see a new school here in Byrneville, but Janet Holley may need another office that they won’t use.
I could go on and on but it doesn’t change thing. Change the darn carpet and leave Byrneville students.
Personally this facility (and I have been through it quite a few times from top to bottom) should have been demolished a long time ago. Putting a charter school in this location should have been a temporary situation up front. If they can not come up with a plan to replace the facility, then the kids may have to go to Bratt Elementary or Molino Park. Both are very good schools. The amount of rain we had was the type of rain storm that does not happen but once in a number of years. That portable is and was very old when the school was open… you can only patch it up and this storm was a lot of water in a short amount of time….the school district cant keep putting band aides on this facility. The school should have insurance on its contents to cover this type of situation. The school staff are great people and doing a good job but it may be time to move on to a facility that is not so old. Whats about the Century K-12…..Let them lease that facility.
I will be voting for Malcolm Thomas. I have known Malcolm for years and worked closely with him in the ESE department for a number of years. I know of no one who cares more for our students than does Malcolm. He is a decent, caring Christian man who knows his job well and does it well. I’m not willing to throw him out over one point of disagreement.
Who else can we vote in is anyone runing against him? Our schools need a change not to keep having things took from our children their students.
Thank you John my thoughts exactly. One could not ask for a better place for a child tp go to school. I just wish it went all the way thru middle school also. As a parent i’ve seen first hand the difference in public and charter wish i would have known sooner and all my kids would have been charter students. Thomas certianly wont be getting our vote.
It is time to vote and all that has happened on this end of the county is to close and move all our schools and services out. We close a new school for and old school and portable buildings now they want replace the carpet in Byrnville.
I’m going to vote all of them out and start all over.
One minor point: The Board of Directors and I have discussed adding some type of multipurpose structure, but not building a new school.
The people of Byrneville and the surrounding areas are very proud of our elementary school! Mr. Thomas may want to reconsider his thoughts. Afterall, this is an election year!
Well said “John”
This is a great school.
Under the carpet is rough plywood covered with adhesive. If Byrneville Charter tried to return the portables to the county without carpet and with rough plywood and adhesive exposed, the school district would bill her for new carpet — ergo, the carpet is the district’s responsibiity.
Malcom — shame on you for trying to up the ante and intimidate by making the whole school’s age an issue; the issue is only carpet in a portable. Furthermore, Byrneville’s FCAT’s scores have been consistantly outstanding (highest 3rd grade math score and highest 5th grade reading score in the county this year, for instance) and that helps the district’s average, so don’t be ungrateful!
If you think the portable is too “vintage,” provide Byrneville with a newer one. Or at least replace the carpet, and in the future use that work order system to maintain the structure effectively–not just the past’s lick-and-a-promise efforts on the roof that caused the present problem.
we need this school it does not matter we still pay taxes so use some of our money and fix it up here at the north end
Vintage? Thats a nice way of putting it.