HPCSD Notices

District response to FDR Air Quality issue

At the request of the Hyde Park Central School District Superintendent of Schools, Carole Pickering, , Ms. Lorelei Case, Assistant Superintendent for Business, worked with Mr. Robert Bajardi, Director of Facilities and Operations, to respond to the Occupational and Environmental Health Center of Eastern New York (OEHC) report prepared by John Van Raalte, MS, CIH.

The district response appears below and is also avilable for download. We will continue to address indoor air quality at FDR and all our facilities through short-term (immediate and on-going) and long-term (Master Facilities Plan) action plans.

Carole Pickering, Superintendent of Schools
Hyde Park Central School District

District Response to the OEHC Report

Indoor Air Quality Response to OEHC Survey

The carbon dioxide levels were tested during and after the initial air quality concerns. Classrooms were tested near the end of a class period. In classrooms where the carbon dioxide levels were close to or exceeded the recommended levels (based on outdoor background levels) univents were adjusted. Rocky Cacchio, BOCES Health & Safety Coordinator, continues to perform random carbon dioxide tests throughout Roosevelt High School. Tests continue to be in acceptable ranges.

Thermostats throughout the building were replaced. Room temperatures continue to be monitored daily. Complaints/concerns of excessively cold or warm rooms are addressed immediately. To avoid potential problems, the building temperatures are checked before students arrive. In each of the three computer rooms, a 24,000 BTU window air conditioner was installed. One of the building projects will include a roof-top air conditioner with an economizer, to accommodate additional ventilation.
Stained ceiling tiles were replaced in Room 460, Room 115 and the main corridor outside the girl's room. The areas above the tiles were checked for possible sources of leakage - none were noted. Custodial staff inspected classrooms and replaced tiles as necessary. Several small steam leaks were discovered and pipes repaired. An underground steam return line was replaced. Custodial staff have been instructed to report any wet tiles to the Facilities Director. Carpeting in the Guidance Office was removed and the floors refinished. In summer 2005, worn carpeting in the pod classrooms will be replaced with linoleum floor covering.
The district no longer uses solvent based paints. All paint sources will meet SED guidelines. Painting has not resumed. Industrial use carbon monoxide detectors will be placed near possible carbon monoxide sources (boiler rooms).
Housecleaning intensified during the air quality concerns. School facilities were neglected for years. Action plans were being put in place prior to the initial problem.

E.A. Morse, cleaning products vendor, conducted a class on proper cleaning methods for custodial staff. A special emphasis was placed on bathroom maintenance. Two head custodians attended a class on gym floor care. Custodians learned an improved technique that uses wet cleaning of floors rather then dust mopping.

During the holiday break, additional thorough cleaning was completed. Facilities continues to request the support of staff. Classrooms must be organized in order to facilitate good cleaning. Many rooms still have boxes and piles of materials. These conditions create havens for air borne dust, paper mites and breeding grounds for mold spores.

Section 3:

See note at 2: Ceiling tiles

The kiln was installed. The kiln has a new hood ventilator and the art room ventilator was repaired.

Room 152 ventilation grills were thoroughly cleaned to allow free airflow. All grills are scheduled for periodic cleaning with particular attention paid to the technology rooms where dust tends to accumulate quickly.

The carpet in Room 620 is scheduled to be replaced with linoleum in the Summer of 2005.

The univent in Room 112 was adjusted and the room was thoroughly cleaned.

Conclusion:

The district addressed specific air quality concerns throughout the high school. Air filters were changed throughout the building. Facilities will purchase the pleated filters for unit ventilators for the spring filter change. Mr. Von Raalte recommended this type of filter. Technical Building Services is working with our technicians to modernize the ventilators operation. The upgrade includes a modernization of the dampers to promote better room ventilation.

Facilities continues to address cleaning, heating and ventilation issues throughout the district. Daily, weekly, monthly and annual maintenance schedules are in place. Custodial training programs are in place. Building administrators are asked to work with staff to examine classrooms, discard unnecessary materials and make rooms accessible for efficient cleaning methods.

The Hyde Park Central School District will also respond to Roosevelt High School and every school through a long term upgrade and renovation project. Phase I will go to the voters on Tuesday, March 15, 2005, at Haviland Middle School. Phase I includes critical upgrades for all seven schools.

Previous Updates

Cover Letter for District Response to OEHC Report

District Response to OEHC Report

Occupational and Environmental Health (OEHC) Report

NYS Department of Health letter

December 8 Press Release

Health Office Statistics 10/21/2004 - 12/9/2004

Wednesday, December 8

Wednesday, November 12

Air Quality Test Results as of 11/9/2004

Monday, November 8

Thursday, November 4

Wednesday, November 3

Tuesday, November 2

Monday, November 1

Questions and Answers about the air quality at FDR High School

Q: Is the district testing for asbestos?: A: No. There is no source of friable asbestos at the high school. Some of the floor tiles are asbestos but are not friable (able to be released into the air).
Q: Should the windows be opened or closed for testing?: A: Testing is being done when windows are open and closed. Testing should occur under normal circumstances and activity.
Q: Can the district provide a 100% safety guarantee?: A: No. Under normal circumstances people are exposed to many chemicals and conditions that could be dangerous to their health at high levels of concentration. The district has, and continues, to test for dangerous levels of concentrations. To date, none have been detected.
Q: Should school be closed?: A: No. The Department of Health stated that the school is safe. All test results continue to be negative.
Q: Why can't the Department of Health determine the source of physical symptoms?: A: Contributing factors for the physical symptoms have been identified. In the course of this investigation it was determined that the combination of inadequate ventilation combined with heating problems in some areas and some localized odor problems contributed to student and teacher complaints of poor air quality.
Q: What does the district consider an emergency?: A: Situations that place students and staff in danger. Currently, there are no known factors that place students and staff in danger.
Q: What causes carbon dioxide levels to rise?: A: Carbon dioxide levels increase when the number of people in an area increases. Inadequate ventilation can contribute to the increase in carbon dioxide levels.
Q: What should we know about carbon monoxide?: A: All carbon monoxide measurements taken at Roosevelt High School have been zero. Carbon Monoxide is a product of incomplete combustion of hydrocarbons. Carbon monoxide must be traced to a source. Common sources include: smoking, second-hand smoke, wood-burning stoves, car exhaust and boilers. Buses and boilers are the two potential sources of carbon monoxide at FDR High School, and extensive testing has ruled out a problem due to either source.

The concentration of carbon monoxide in the atmosphere is usually less than 0.001 percent. A low base-line level of carboxyhemoglobin (HbCO) is detectable in every person. The clinical symptoms of carbon monoxide poisoning are non-specific and may mimic those of a viral illness. Smokers often maintain carboxyhemoglobin levels of 3-10%. Nonsmokers may experience symptoms when levels reach 10%. The diagnosis is based on a clear history of exposure to carbon monoxide and an elevated carboxyhemoglobin level in the blood. The severity of the clinical illness is better correlated with the duration and extent of carbon monoxide exposure, which has not been documented at FDR than with the HbCO level.
Q: Why isn't the Health Department testing for bacteria?: A: A part of this investigation, the Dutchess County Health Department has considered biological agents as a potential source of teacher and student complaints. Typically, Bacterial and viral illnesses not respond to environmental changes such as opening windows or going outside. However, the Dutchess County Health Department has developed epidemiological survey to address this concern.

Air Quality at FDR High School Informational Meeting

7:00 p.m., Monday, November 1, 2004

F. D. Roosevelt High School Auditorium

Mrs. Carole A. Pickering	HPCSD Superintendent of Schools
Ms. Lorelei Case	HPCSD Assistant Superintendent for Business
Mr. Robert Bajardi	HPCSD Director of Facilities & Operations
Mr. Rocco Cacchio	HPCSD Safety & Risk Management Coordinator
Mrs. Julie Linton	F. D. Roosevelt High School Principal
Ms. Sonia Troupe	F. D. Roosevelt High School Assistant Principal
Mr. Robert Parkes	F. D. Roosevelt High School Assistant Principal
Dr. Michael Caldwell	Dutchess County Commissioner of Health
Mr. Dan Zoller	Dutchess County Health Department Senior Public Health Sanitarian

Agenda

Statement of Purpose
Introductions
Distribution of Reports:
Air Quality testing, sequence and results prepared by Ms. Case, Mr. Bajardi and Mr. Cacchio [PDF] [Excel]
Health Office report for October 21 - 29, 2004 prepared by Mrs. Barbara Marley, FDR, RN
Report/Update of October 28 prepared by Mrs. Pickering
Occupational & Environmental Health Center report prepared by John VanRaalte, CIH, Director of Industrial Hygiene Services
Questions
Answers to questions posed at the forum will be posted here and available from District Office in the near future

District Leadership Team

The District Leadership Team is part of the Biennial Shared Decision Making Plan required under Commissioner's Regulations Part 100.11. During the summer of 2004 a representative constituent group worked to revise the structure of the District Leadership Team (DLT). This model was presented to the interim DLT on September 22, 2004 as follows.

Each school is represented by (1) the principal, and (2) two representa-tives, at least one a parent or community member and approved by the Building Leadership Team (BLT).

Additionally, the PTA and Board of Education each designates a member of the District Leadership Team. One non-voting member of the Board of Education also serves on the District Leadership Team.

The Superintendent of Schools facilitates this committee's work.

We have had two meetings in the 2004-2005 school year, both well attended. At the first meeting held on September 22, 2004, the group agreed to this structure by consensus, and to agreed to focus on the following three topics.

Facilities planning for renovation and likely expansion;
Anti-bullying/behavior issues;
Food service/cafeteria issues.

Our second meeting was held on October 20th and was also well attended. As per the DLT's decision, most of the meeting was focused on the sharing of anti-bullying programs and related issues of emotional safety and school climate. The group will revisit this topic in the spring along with food services/cafeteria issues. Since this latter area of concern is already un-dergoing change and improvement, the DLT decided to defer this topic to late in the school year.

The next meeting will be held on November 17, 2004. Future meetings will be posted on the District Website calendar.

Beginning next month, the DLT has agreed to focus upon issues related to facilities, renovations and possible expansion. In preparation for the November meeting, the DLT will bring itself up to speed on the proposed recommendation to the Board of Education regarding our Facilities Master Plan. This will be accomplished by either attending our November 9th Board of Education meeting, or by an alternate method.

When we convene on November 17th, we will then discuss the role of the DLT in the Facilities Master Plan process. We will plan a meeting in December at which time we will also set up the content of future meetings.

While it is an early judgment, there appears to be a high level of willingness and opti-mism in the group. There is a desire to be part of the district's educational leadership represent-ing the interests and needs of not only the schools they represent, but also the district as a K-12 entity.

In late spring we will assess our format and degree of functionality. We will review and revise the DLT structure and focus as the group agrees to do so by consensus.

2004/2005 Girls Varsity Soccer

A recent court ruling from Westchester County mandated that Girls' Soccer be played in the fall beginning with the Fall 2004 season. The basis of this is that the girls participating in the spring program are not eligible for play at the state level, and thus are denied an equal opportunity under Title 9. Subsequetly, the court amended its original decision so that districts will be permitted to transition their Girls' soccer programs to the fall season over time.

In light of this new ruling, Hyde Park, in conjunction with the Mid-Hudson Athletic League, will play Girls' Soccer in the spring of 2005. A decision regarding the nature of the transition of Girls' Soccer to the fall will be discussed at the September meeting of the Mid-Hudson Athletic League Athletic Directors.

We feel it is in the best interests of our Girls' Soccer program, as well as the entire athletic program, to keep our girls' soccer teams playing in the spring for 2004-2005. This will be less disruptive to the soccer, volleyball, swimming, cross-country, field hockey, tennis, and cheerleading programs. It will not ask our students to make difficult and last-minute choices. By keeping our Girls' Soccer program in the spring for one more year, it will provide us with the time needed to properly consider the ramifications of this far-reaching decision. Details regarding the move of Girls' Soccer to the fall for the 2005-2006 school year and its effect upon the entire athletic program will be distributed as they become known.

We look forward to an enjoyable Girls Spring 2005 Soccer season, and we thank all of the Hyde Park School District community for your continued support of our athletes and athletic program.

FDR Drinking Water

By law, public water systems, which a school is part of, must regularly test their drinking water for contaminants and report those results to the local Department of Health, in this case, Dutchess County. Recently, the results of those tests from the Franklin D. Roosevelt High School showed an elevated level of lead in the drinking water. In this particular school, the water test indicated that we were slightly above the regulatory level of 15 parts per billion, or 0.015 milligrams of lead per liter of water (i.e., during the March 2004 water test, the level was 0.035 milligrams of lead per liter of water). At the present time, all of our other school facilities are within the stated guidelines.

The school district has been implementing a program to minimize the lead in the drinking water at the Roosevelt High School since the mid-1990's. This program includes corrosion control treatment for the source water. Due to the action level exceedance, the State Sanitary Code requires the existing program be re-evaluated, source water testing, water quality monitoring and public education. The re-evaluation of the current treatment and source water testing is to be completed by September 03, 2004. A flushing program is being implemented to flush water that has been in the pipes for six hours or more.

The attached document, "Lead in Drinking Water," explains the simple steps you can take to protect you and your family by reducing your exposure to lead in drinking water.

If you have any questions about how we are carrying out the requirements of this state regulation, please call us at the school district telephone lines at and or the Dutchess County Department of Health at 486-3404. For health-related concerns, please contact the Dutchess County Health Department at 486-3419.

View the letter sent home as a PDF file.

Military Access to Student Information

New Federal Law Increases Military Recruiter Access to Information on Secondary School Students

In January 2002, the President signed into law the "No Child Left Behind Act" which significantly increases a school district's responsibility in releasing student directory information to military recruiters. Effective January 8, 2002, the law requires educational agencies to: "provide on a request made by military recruiters or an institution of higher education, access to secondary school students' names, addresses and telephone listings".

Parents have an opportunity to have their child's directory information withheld from disclosure. The directory information will be withheld if a student's parent(s) have, prior to the request for the directory information, requested that the information not be released without the parent's written consent.

All requests to have student information withheld must be in writing and forwarded to the F.D. Roosevelt Guidance Office by 12/31/02. A PDF form for making this request is available here.

If any questions or concerns, please contact Joe Gordon, Director of Guidance, at 229-4025 or jgordon@fdr.hpcsd.dcboces.org.

Hyde Park Education Foundation

The Hyde Park Education Foundation was created several years ago to assist in the historic perservation of the three school buildings in our school district that were supported and funded through executive actions taken by the late President Franklin D. Roosevelt. The Foundation is in the process of locating high school alumni of the various graduating classes. The members of the Board of Directors of the Hyde Park Education Foundation would like to make contact with the various Class Presidents and/or Class Secretaries from each graduating high school class."

Please contact Mr. Robert Kampf, Board of Directors for the Hyde Park Education Foundation at RobertBKGolfer@aol.com.

Original FDR High School Building (now Haviland Middle School)

The Hyde Park Education Foundation is developing a trust fund for the restoration and preservation of the three historical buildings in the district that were built with Public Works Administration grants: the original Franklin Delano Roosevelt High School (now Haviland Middle School), Hyde Park Elementary School and Violet Avenue Elementary School. As part of this effort, artist Al Massa has produced a beautiful commemorative pen-ink drawing of the original Franklin D. Roosevelt High School. We are pleased to offer this signed lithograph in recognition of all donations of thirty- five (35) dollars or above. Prints are available at any of the school buildings or at the District Administrative offices. Prints can also be obtained by mailing a request to the address below with your donation and an additional $6.00 for shipping. Checks should be made out to "Hyde Park Education Foundation".

Hyde Park Education Foundation
4 Frances Court
Hyde Park, NY 12538

Donations to the foundation can also be sent to the address above. Checks should be made out to "Hyde Park Education Foundation".

The first print is of the original Franklin Delano Roosevelt High School building which is now Haviland Middle School. A larger image is available by clicking on the small image to the left. The school was built on property purchased from Ben Haviland, a local farmer and friend of President Roosevelt. All three building were built with $1,300,000 with $585,000 coming from PWA grants.

The Hyde Park School District was formed in August of 1938 with Mr. Ralph R. Smith as President. The foundation work for the Franklin Delano Roosevelt High School was started in January of 1939 and school opened on September 1, 1940. The building was dedicated on October 5, 1940.

Robert R. Graham of Middletown designed the school. The facade is Native Fieldstone.

Notices

Hyde Park Receives Additional $300,000 In State Aid

ADA/Health & Safety Bond Referendum Passed

BOE Nominating Petitions Available

FDR and Haviland Regents and Midterms delayed 1/26/2005

Poll Workers needed for School District Votes