2026-09-29 - Education Committee

00:00Again,

00:08anyone wishing to sign a speech

00:12public testimony, the signing sheet is

00:14to my right and your left.

00:40Once again, any older that wishes to

00:42join us at the table, feel free. There

00:45are no items, we may need a couple

00:48cheers for our posting testimony.

00:57just call me out

00:58>> where you want

00:59>> wherever you like. I know that all the

01:01builders here

01:04and it's nice to see all my

01:06>> Let me get up.

01:12Where's the box?

01:16>> How are you?

01:22>> My head is a screen. [laughter]

01:27>> It's a dream team.

01:29>> Look to see [laughter]

01:42Board of Walders notice New Haven. The

01:44Education Committee of the Board of

01:45Walders will meet in person on Tuesday,

01:48September 29th, 2026 at 6 PM in the

01:52Board of Walders Chamber located at 165

01:54Church Street, second floor, New Haven,

01:56Connecticut to hold the following two

01:58workshops. Number one, workshop of the

02:02New Haven Board of Holders with the New

02:03Haven Federation of Teachers regarding

02:05an update on the historical overview of

02:08facilities facility concerns and the

02:10status of work orders for the school

02:11year. Number two, workshop of the New

02:14Haven Board of Walders with the New

02:16Haven Public Schools Chief

02:17Administrative Office and Community

02:19Service Administration to discuss

02:21facility inspections, identify concerns,

02:23corrective measures, inter interdep

02:25departmental coordination, and any

02:27outstanding issues requiring further

02:30action. Per order, honorable Gary V.

02:33Hogan, chair, attest honorable Michael

02:36Smart, city town clerk. These items are

02:38on file and available in the office of

02:40legislative services, city hall, 165

02:43church street, second floor, New Haven,

02:45Connecticut 06511.

02:48For accessibility related

02:49accommodations, please call 2039467651

02:54for voice and 2039468582

02:58TTYTD.

03:01Public comment and testimony may also be

03:03submitted via email to public testimony

03:05at newhavenct.gov.

03:07before 2:00 p.m. on the day of the

03:09meeting. This meeting may be viewed on

03:12the New Haven Board Holders YouTube

03:14page.

03:15My name is Gary Hogan. I represent Ward

03:1828. I am the chair. I will have all

03:20alers introduce themselves starting to

03:22my right.

03:23>> Thank you, Mr. Chair. Amy Marks, thank

03:24you for letting me join the committee.

03:27>> Alder Honda Smith, W 30. Thank you, Mr.

03:29Chair, for allowing me to sit in also.

03:31>> Alder Britney Mayberry NL 20. Thank you,

03:34Mr. Chair for Long Beach City,

03:37>> Milendez, Ward 13, part of the

03:40committee.

03:41>> Frankenti, Ward 15, vice chair,

03:44>> Elias Theodore, Ward One, also on the

03:46committee.

03:47>> Maria Serana, Ward N. Thank you, Mr.

03:49Chair, for having

03:51>> Anna Festa, W 10. Uh, thank you as well,

03:54Mr. Chair, for allowing us to sit at the

03:56table.

03:57>> Lea Moore, W 18. Thank you, Mr. Chair,

03:59for allowing me to join you today. Are

04:01there any other authors amongst us that

04:03would wish to join us?

04:07Okay. Uh few ground rules.

04:09[clears throat]

04:10Please allow people to speak freely and

04:13without interruption. Any destructive

04:16behavior, I will ask you to step

04:18outside.

04:20For those that need to use the

04:21restrooms, they are out the door to your

04:22right. At the exit sign, make your

04:24right. You're on your left. Once

04:25[clears throat] again, let's try to keep

04:27our comments to ourselves until you have

04:31the opportunity to sit before reports.

04:33With that, New Haven teachers,

04:42please present with your name and

04:44address.

04:46And are there more than

04:48>> they're they're in the audience. Um, and

04:50I know and they are home preparing for

04:52tomorrow. Um, I'm going to take the lead

04:54on the presentation. Miss Murphy is

04:56going to operate the slides.

04:59Um, I'm not sure where she is. While

05:01she's

05:01>> Does she have the career?

05:03>> She does. Yeah. Um, while she's getting

05:05set up, I will introduce myself for the

05:06record. Um, my name is Lesie Bleto. I

05:08live at 410 Greenwich Avenue in War 5.

05:11Um, I'm a New Haven public school parent

05:13of a sixth grader and I'm the president

05:14of New Haven Federation of Teachers. And

05:16it's um, good to be here with you all

05:18tonight. I believe she

05:21>> and we're ready. Okay. Ready to go with

05:23the presentation.

05:26>> Great.

05:27>> And you'll do the clicking. Do you want

05:28to say it?

05:29>> Um

05:32[snorts]

05:38Rose Murphy 411 Brford, Connecticut.

05:42>> Will it appear there once it's

05:44available? [clears throat]

05:45>> That is correct. Okay.

05:47Is it here? Where's this?

05:49>> We just waiting for Mr. Lucas.

05:51>> Mr. Lucas to um

05:53[cough and clears throat]

06:02[laughter]

06:14>> He does it right. screen.

06:15>> He does it from the screen. He kind of

06:18touches the screen.

06:23>> You want me?

06:24>> Yeah.

06:30>> Thank you for being patient. We're just

06:31waiting for the upload of the PowerPoint

06:33presentation.

06:54Aler more. You're going to be right in

06:57the center of

06:58>> indeed.

07:00Good.

07:03>> You want me over here?

07:05>> Go the other side.

07:08>> Watch the closer.

07:38See, do you need to log in?

07:39>> While we're waiting, I'd like to thank

07:41all my colleagues um for attending this

07:43evening. This is an important topic for

07:46for us as a board. So,

07:48>> okay.

07:51>> Right. Thanks, Mr.

07:52>> Thank you, M. [laughter]

07:55and you're all set.

07:57>> All right. Um, so both myself as the

08:00representative for over 1,700 teachers

08:02in New Haven public schools and many of

08:04our members um, who are long-standing

08:07employees, parents in the district,

08:09graduates in the district, we're here to

08:11tell the story of the real state of our

08:13schools um, this evening.

08:15So, I want to make sure that we get at

08:17the why for this um because I want to be

08:21crystal clear on our why for coming here

08:24to tell our story tonight. Our why is

08:26that Could you go back one please? Um

08:28our why is we want to focus on

08:34solutions. Our goal is to improve

08:38working conditions and learning

08:39conditions for students. and our goal

08:42and teachers and our goal is to protect

08:44the health and safety of our members,

08:47our students, fellow workers and the

08:49community. That is our goal. We don't

08:51have goals apart from that. Next slide,

08:54please.

08:55The reality is public schools are the

08:58bedrock of our democracy and we all know

09:01there are forces at play in the state

09:04and in the country that are attacking

09:06both public schools and democracy. We

09:09are not going to let the reality of our

09:13undermaintained schools be a distraction

09:15for privatizers to come in and try to

09:17take our schools. Our schools are the

09:20bedrock of our democracy. They must be

09:22protected at all costs. This includes

09:24the physical infrastructure. We are here

09:26to call for solutions. Thank you.

09:30And to share some history.

09:33So, we're going to take this to August

09:34of 2023.

09:36um when what was reported to us when

09:38former chief operating officer Tom Lamb

09:40was here that we had districtwide HVAC

09:43failure. Tom Lamb shared a dock with us

09:47um that he created highlighting

09:50the multiple HVAC failures and kind of

09:54failures within failures um impacting

09:57indoor air quality, heating and cooling

10:00throughout our 40 school buildings.

10:05We took that as a sign to continue to

10:08raise awareness about very real

10:10concerns. These pictures are dated from

10:12September 2023. We shared concerns as

10:16the exclusive bargaining agent for our

10:19workers about mold, about leaks, about

10:23HVAC, and about indoor air quality.

10:29In the spirit of collaboration, COO Lamb

10:31suggested that we start meeting with him

10:33and the ABM team. So, we agreed to start

10:36meeting regularly. There's an example um

10:38in this slideshow of an update that we

10:41received from ABM about the range of

10:43things they were doing. Mind you, this

10:45update was shared with the federation. I

10:46don't believe it was uh it might have

10:48been embedded in a in a in a minutes or

10:51an agenda on a a board website. It's not

10:55p eas easily public publicly accessible.

10:58>> Excuse me for interrupting you so that

10:59everyone knows ABM meaning.

11:01>> Oh, I don't know what ABM stands for but

11:03they are the contracted vendor who

11:06manages

11:08um the uh the the condition pardon me

11:11the facilities for New Haven Public

11:12Schools. Um a private company that New

11:15Haven public schools I believe to as of

11:17tomorrow will no longer be partnered

11:19with.

11:20um uh continuing in fall of 2023. Um at

11:24the same time, at the state level,

11:26advocates are pushing for improved

11:29legislation to improve indoor air

11:31quality in our schools. Um postcoid, we

11:34know this is a reality. New public

11:36schools chose to close two schools

11:39during COVID because the indoor air

11:41quality in those two buildings,

11:42Quinnipic and Westrock, were were

11:45unsuitable for for anybody to go in

11:48them. Um so with with with that

11:50happening at the state level um NHFT

11:54began our requests of Dr. Negron during

11:56our monthly meetings to release the

11:58results of school indoor air quality

12:01testing in accordance with that public

12:03law.

12:07That school year was a hard one. Um, we

12:10ended the school year with dozens of

12:12facility requests that went unresolved,

12:15that resulted in uncertainty, in

12:18confusion, in unsafe conditions, lower

12:21morale, teacher resignations, continued

12:24vacancies, and a a sense of who is

12:28responsible, who is accountable for the

12:31working conditions and learning

12:32conditions of staff and students.

12:36Here are some examples of concerns that

12:38were raised to us. So, this is a summary

12:40of an email that, pardon me, this is an

12:42email that we received where someone's

12:44talking about leaks and puddles on their

12:46floor um asking what's going to happen

12:48about this. This is an egregious example

12:51of an old warp murder from two years

12:53prior um that was marked complete. Um

12:56somebody who was working after school

12:58program got injured at Clemente School,

13:00needed stitches. You know, we could go

13:03on and on with examples. There are

13:05concrete examples of work orders that

13:07were claimed to have been done that were

13:09not done that resulted in unsafe

13:12conditions and at sometimes um in

13:14injury.

13:15Um during the 2324 school year, we kept

13:19facilities as a priority on our agenda

13:22with Dr. Negron and the central office

13:24team. We also we are about solutions. So

13:27we would also hear about potential

13:30grants. We would hear about research

13:32being done on this topic of indoor air

13:34quality. We presented um continued

13:37questions about are we going to do

13:39bonds? Are you know we we heard bonds

13:41are the way to go? Can we begin process

13:44for bonds? And there wasn't an outright

13:47no to these questions, but there wasn't

13:50always clear communication about yes, we

13:53are doing this bond. It will initiate on

13:55this date. It will close out on this

13:57date. it felt like we were

14:01each month trying to get more

14:03information.

14:05Uh here's an example of an agenda from

14:08October 2024 um where we are

14:11highlighting occupational health

14:13concerns as part of our educator

14:15retention goal um highlighting examples

14:18of the inflation reduction act um

14:20allowing for 40% tax credits um the

14:23Renew America's schools grant where

14:25Bridgeport received $3.6 $6 million for

14:28energy retrofits. We were trying to be

14:30proactive. We we are connected in the

14:32community through through labor through

14:34other unions. So when we hear from aft

14:38or from other unions what they're doing,

14:40we share it. We share and look, we know

14:42there is not a great rhetoric public

14:44schools. We do know there's a central

14:47office team whose shared goal it is to

14:49fix our schools. Um so I understand that

14:52that uh capacity is always an issue for

14:54all of us. um we showed you in good

14:56faith. Um we also were trying to figure

14:58out the role of Mr. Carter during that

15:00time. I know he was on loan from the

15:02city to the board. Um he was taking lead

15:06on the bomb applications on the binder

15:09that had a lot of the potential

15:11solutions in it. Um and we continue to

15:14try to push uh in that respect. Um so

15:16that was the 23 24 school year. So now

15:20here we are starting the 24 school year.

15:22We're not seeing the results. um that

15:25are that are generating a a change in

15:28the working conditions and learning

15:29conditions. So, we attempted to put our

15:31collective bargaining agreement to work

15:32and we filed a grievance on behalf of

15:34Hill House Hill House High School

15:36teachers uh regarding mold um that uh

15:39they saw and took pictures of in their

15:41building. Um unfortunately, the board

15:43denied that grievance. Um and here's the

15:47uh the the text from the grievance

15:49itself. the board, the principal and the

15:51assistant superintendent at the time

15:53denied the grievance. Um, and uh, we

15:56were left attempting to try to mediate

16:00it and I will admit the federation

16:02dropped that grievance. Um, it didn't

16:05feel like we were making progress using

16:08that tool. So, we pivoted. Um,

16:10facilities issues are not a grievance.

16:12Uh, denied um, locks. Facilities issues

16:15are not a grievance. They said their

16:17work orders were submitted. That's all

16:18they could do. So, we took we took that

16:21data and we took that feedback, but we

16:24don't give up. So, January 2025, we

16:26thought a lot of our members were

16:28saying, "Why aren't we calling OSHA?

16:29These buildings don't feel safe." So, we

16:31filed an OSHA complaint for Wilmer Cross

16:33and Hill House. Those are our two

16:34biggest high schools. Um, they impacted

16:37a significant amount of children and

16:38employees. Um, and the and I think this

16:43is important for people to know because

16:44I think sometimes people think that OSHA

16:47comes in like Superman and fixes

16:49everything. Um, but but this is our

16:52experience and that's all I can speak

16:53to, but OSHA directed Dr. Negron and her

16:56team to do the investigations um or the

17:01um word is escaping me. I I guess

17:04essentially the the inspections, that's

17:06the word to do the inspection

17:07themselves. So they were charged with

17:11the task of doing the inspections of

17:13Hill House and Cross. Um and the result

17:16was um that in doc in the documented

17:19letter from Dr. Neon to OSHA that no

17:20evident deficiencies were observed um in

17:24January of 2025.

17:26So

17:28wind fell out of our sails a little bit

17:30there to be honest because we tried the

17:32grievance process that didn't work.

17:34dried OSHA that didn't appear to work.

17:37Although there's always a bright spot uh

17:39when workers are organized. Um and one

17:42of the things that emerged from the OSHA

17:46report is New Haven Public Schools uh

17:49per the directive from OSHA agreed to do

17:52formal facilities meetings with us. When

17:54Lamb and Jamar Alen were here, they were

17:57very informal meetings. Now OSHA has

17:59given a directive. We're going to do

18:00formal meetings. So we began that other

18:04unions participated as well. That's in

18:06the name of solidarity. We filed the

18:08OSHA complaint. We stuck our neck out

18:10and did that. And big tent other unions

18:12came in and participated in those

18:14facilities meetings as well. Fast

18:17forward now. Um so so last year 2526

18:22we ran a strong contract campaign with

18:25the goal of retaining teachers and

18:28making sure that every child in New

18:30Haven public schools has a certified

18:32teacher in their school and in their

18:34classroom. Um we brought many proposals

18:37forward in the name of health and

18:39safety. Unfortunately most of them were

18:42rejected um by the board of ed. Even

18:44some of them that would have cost them

18:46nothing. even one of them that's uh

18:48that's a legislative requirement and

18:50they said well since it's the law we

18:51don't have to put it in the contract and

18:53we said well laws change we we could

18:56still put it in the contract um and they

18:58declined um to bargain that what we did

19:01get and and I will recognize the success

19:04is we got codified monthly meetings with

19:07the president and the vice president of

19:09the federation and the chief of school

19:11operations so those meetings have been

19:13happening more than once a month uh in

19:15this present moment Um and uh Dr. White

19:18is in that position and is situated

19:20himself to be responsive to these

19:22concerns. Um one man alone is not going

19:24to be able to fix this. Um this is going

19:26to take the community behind us, in

19:30front of us, and outside of these these

19:32walls.

19:35So that brings us here. Um you know,

19:37last year we really focused on our

19:39contract campaign. We we paid a price

19:41for that ultimately um as a result of

19:44our strong contract campaign. Our vice

19:46president now who was on release and who

19:49was working in collaboration um to

19:51address facilities concerns and many

19:53other concerns, she has now been

19:55reassigned and is working full-time as a

19:57specialed itinerant. Um so she is no

19:59longer on release to support this work.

20:01We we are addressing that in a in a

20:03different venue. Um but here we are now

20:07ready to share the state of our schools.

20:09um because we've reached a breaking

20:11point that we cannot continue to attempt

20:15small um moves on such a serious topic.

20:21This issue is widely felt

20:25by members and students in most if not

20:28all of our school buildings. This issue

20:30is deeply felt. It is not something that

20:32you can just brush off like maybe you're

20:34staying 5 minutes late because the bus

20:36is late. This is deeply felt and

20:38disruptive to many teachers and many

20:41students and we believe this is winnable

20:44but it's going to take a lot of work

20:46from a lot of people.

20:50Here's the reality.

20:52Um while New Haven public schools has

20:54begun to respond to some recent contract

20:57violations, we have seen a continued

20:59pattern of neglect from the board of

21:02education with respect to the serious

21:04facilities problems that of course did

21:07not originate this year, last year, the

21:09year before. This has been going on for

21:11decades.

21:13I am the president now. These workers

21:15are teachers now. Our students get one

21:18chance to be in the grade that they're

21:19in now. we are taking this seriously

21:22now. Um it is harming working conditions

21:24and learning conditions for our staff

21:26and students.

21:31So as a result of the state law um

21:35Envirromed, which is the company that

21:37Note Public Schools has contracted,

21:41they are beginning to do their indoor

21:43air quality reports. Um, and I believe

21:45they've posted as of August, they've

21:47posted for 24 schools which are located

21:50on the New Haven public school website.

21:52So, I want to take the time now to

21:53publicly encourage families, workers,

21:58alders, go to the facilities page of the

22:01New Haven public schools website. Find

22:03your school, read the report, find your

22:06friends who work in public health who

22:08can navigate some of this more complex

22:10language, and let's all come together

22:12and really try to understand what's in

22:14these reports. The photos are also worth

22:17noting because there is documentation on

22:20the board website of photographs um that

22:23that should raise concern uh for people

22:26who care deeply about our schools as the

22:28federation does.

22:30Um, so what you're going to see now is a

22:32series of photos that were taken in

22:34April that are on the district website

22:37in the envirmed reports. Um, we then

22:41went and did a check of those pictures

22:43to see what was done between April and

22:46September on the pictures that the board

22:48posted. Um, and here's what you'll see.

22:51Uh, Wilbur Cross, same issue. Fair Haven

22:54School, same issue.

22:58Nathan Hale School, same issue.

23:03Career High School, same issue.

23:07Fair Haven, again, worsened issue.

23:14Um, and these are some additional

23:16pictures um that I want to speak to and

23:19I'm going to speak more from my notes

23:21here while you have the pictures. So,

23:22some of the issues that have been raised

23:25through um our members being brave and

23:29highlighting these problems because

23:31let's be real, it is not always easy for

23:33workers to say my I feel unsafe at work.

23:38Um so, I want to give credit to the

23:40brave workers who are highlighting this.

23:42Um but we are seeing issues around HVAC

23:45leaks and possible mold, broken locks

23:47and doors, unsafe spaces such as gyms,

23:50stairwells, classrooms and playgrounds.

23:52Um and technology issues. Um these are

23:55leading to disruptions in learning in

23:59engagement and potentially attendance.

24:02um the issue um

24:07at Lincoln Basset that led to the flood

24:09that led to the displacement of teachers

24:11at Marxler Grant. Um I know that they

24:14are being as as responsive as possible,

24:16but that will be six weeks of children

24:19outside of their assigned school having

24:21to take a bus and then another bus and

24:23then be in a school where the furniture

24:26does not fit their bodies.

24:29These are first graders sitting in high

24:30school desks

24:33and then get back one of us and go back

24:35again to their other school. Um

24:39the reports at Hill House are

24:41significant. I I also, you know, yes, we

24:44must raise awareness about beloved Hill

24:46House and it is not just Hill House.

24:50Um but the disruption to learning at

24:53Hill House is incredibly alarming. um

24:57rooms being changed frequently where

24:59teachers and students aren't sure what

25:01classrooms they're supposed to be going

25:03to. Um we have examples at King Robinson

25:06at Edgewood where there might be

25:08remediation happening potentially, but

25:11there needs to be communication with the

25:13staff there so they know, do I have to

25:15pack up and move? What room am I going

25:18to go to? This is significant um and we

25:21can absolutely improve in this area

25:24because it has a significant impact on

25:26staff retention and morale. And as I

25:29said before, this could lead to

25:31increased illness and absenteeism.

25:34>> Um I also want to raise uh the pools. Um

25:37I know the I've been up here testifying

25:39about pools in other capacities um not

25:42related to New Haven public schools. Um

25:45but we know that the pools are in our

25:47schools. That is a good thing. Um, our

25:50workers, our physical education teachers

25:53teach their classes in the rooms with

25:56the pools. Um, and one of our PE

25:58teachers reached out and said, "Hey,

26:00where would I get the inspection reports

26:02for our pools?" I said, "Great

26:04question." So, I asked the board of ed,

26:06they said, "You should ask the city."

26:07So, I'm glad to be here in front of our

26:09city elected officials tonight. Um, so I

26:11did reach out to the public health

26:12department. They directed me to court

26:14counsel um and said I had to file a

26:16FOYA. I tried to clarify with them that

26:18for the teacher negotiation act I should

26:20just be able to access the information

26:22um because it does impact our working

26:24conditions. They said you have to file a

26:25FOYA. I did. Um and here's where we

26:29landed. Pursuant to your request to

26:31search Oh, I requested pool inspection

26:34reports since 2016. And I'll summarize.

26:38All they could find were pool inspection

26:40reports since 2024.

26:44And they included the caveat that this

26:46file search should not be considered

26:48conclusive as some records may have been

26:50lost or misplaced over time.

26:53So I get to go back to my PE teachers

26:56who work in these spaces with pools and

26:59we can look at the most recent ones, but

27:02what about for those folks who were

27:04working there in 2017 or 2019 or 2021 or

27:0822? Um, and it is our understanding that

27:12public health should maintain records

27:13for at least 5 years. And of course, our

27:15doors always open if those records are

27:17found. Um, we have a contract clause

27:20that guarantees the board maintains our

27:23facilities to a high standard of health

27:24and safety. So now we are taking our

27:27contract more seriously and as a result,

27:30we have filed 52 grievances since August

27:3326, 2026.

27:35um that represents 26 out of 42 school

27:39and work sites. Um 16 of those

27:42grievances are for HVMAC. And I want to

27:44recognize something here. I I understand

27:48how complex it is and I understand that

27:52for years

27:53the facilities team has been working on

27:56this. They have been. I will give credit

27:58where credit is due.

28:01Lincoln Basset and Edgewood. We got

28:03grants from the state to fix HVAC. That

28:06is good news. I think we need an update

28:10on that because we are still getting

28:12reports from Lincoln Basset and Edgewood

28:14of hot classrooms at the beginning of

28:15the school year. But the good news is

28:18that grants from the state were secured.

28:20So, let's keep that going. Similarly, um

28:23we have we know that HVAC is connected

28:26to roofs because we can't fix the HVAC

28:29at Truman until we fix the roof at

28:32Truman. Good news, Truman is one of the

28:34schools that is getting state money for

28:37the roof to be fixed um along with Hill

28:40House and Cross and then another round

28:42coming up of Sound Broad Haven and HSC.

28:46This is great work.

28:48It's frustrating that it took us this

28:50long. And I think one of the things that

28:52the board can think about is how can we

28:55expedite some of this work in the name

28:57of the children who are who are going to

29:00schools now in the name of the workers

29:02who tell me every day I want to stay in

29:05New Haven. We have to do better. Um and

29:07again I I acknowledge when work is done

29:11[clears throat] grants, purchase orders,

29:13contracts, all of that is a process that

29:16is being initiated. Let's keep that up.

29:19Um however, with respect to our

29:22grievances, so we have 36 nonh

29:24grievances filed. Um we have um uh

29:29pardon me um

29:3214 of those there's been an initiated

29:35response. They have not been resolved.

29:37Um, and we are requesting updates. And I

29:40know that I can be tiring. I get it.

29:43It's the reality. It's not just a we

29:46think it's better. We need the paperwork

29:50documenting that it's better. If we hear

29:52that facilities went and cut out a patch

29:54of mold in a school, then we need to

29:57know the test results. I think that's

30:00fair. If it's not fair, then deny the

30:02grievance, right? as they did in 2023.

30:05If it's fair, indicate when and how we

30:09will receive that feedback. Um, three of

30:12the grievances, although I think it's

30:14back down to two, have been resolved.

30:16Uh, one was a front door at sound school

30:19did not latch. So, my members often get

30:22yelled at. Let me not say yelled at, my

30:24members often get told they are they are

30:26doing the wrong thing if they leave

30:28their classroom door open. if it's if

30:31it's hot in their room, if there are

30:34singers in their room and and they want

30:36to fill that space with the song of

30:38children, if maybe it's just one adult

30:40and one child and the door should stay

30:42open. Um, and that's the reality that my

30:46members are told you must shut the door.

30:48Although there's no written policy on

30:50that, the reality is the front door of

30:54one of the buildings at Sound School did

30:56not latch. The first war order was

30:59submitted in May.

31:01the teacher who arrived first to the

31:03building every morning. She knew she was

31:05the first one. Every school has one.

31:06First one in the building. She would

31:09open the door and it would just open.

31:12She wouldn't need to use her badge to

31:13open it. It was reported fixed and we

31:16just found out again today that it might

31:17be broken again. Um the other resolved

31:19grievances was a broken PA at Hill House

31:22which was alarming when lockdowns needed

31:24to be called. um not everybody was aware

31:27of the need to call a lockdown. Uh that

31:30has been fixed. That is good news.

31:32Another one of the grievances that

31:34resolved was a a pest issue and I'll own

31:38it. The teacher had too much food in her

31:40room over the summer. Um that's a

31:42reality. We owned it. It got addressed.

31:45We're working on informing our members

31:47to do better on that problem. Right.

31:49this I will own when things are are a

31:53result of of our actions. Um but we're

31:56still waiting on responses on close to

31:5820 grievances.

32:00>> How many

32:03>> I'm almost there. Next steps and

32:05solutions. Here we go.

32:06>> There we go.

32:08>> Um we need to prioritize increased city

32:11funds in the 2027 budget for capital

32:13improvements. You have more pilot funds

32:16from Yale and the state of Connecticut

32:18than than really you've had in a very

32:20long time. That's got to go to capital

32:23improvements.

32:25Continue to identify matching fund

32:27grants at the state level through the

32:29non-priority school construction grants.

32:31And let's get a sense of what the board

32:33of ed's capacity is. Can they do one a

32:35month? Can they do two a month? Can they

32:37do three a month? We're filing three

32:39grievances a day at NHFT. What can the

32:41city do on their end? What can BOE do on

32:44their end monthly on these rolling

32:46applications for money for our schools?

32:49Um, let's prioritize bond applications.

32:51I thought bonds were happening.

32:54I don't know what happened. Um, our

32:57petition demands, these still are

32:59outstanding. [clears throat]

33:01We would love to know if there are safe

33:03temperature range for our school

33:04buildings. There is not one established.

33:06Um, we asked the Department of Public

33:08Health and they said we don't know. Um

33:11we would we are asking the board of ed

33:13to create and maintain a public facing

33:15spreadsheet and database that shares

33:17updates in real time about HVAC and

33:20about the preventative maintenance that

33:22we need. Um the the board's own report

33:25from environment said that schools

33:27should continue to perform preventative

33:29maintenance. We don't know I don't know

33:31of my daughter's Hill Central School

33:32when the last time the filter was

33:33changed. Um and this is not about

33:35custodians not doing their job. Our

33:36custodians work hard every day. they

33:39need the tools to do the work that they

33:42want to do. Um, we would very much like

33:46labor and school representatives to be

33:48informed 48 hours in advance of all city

33:52board of ed walkthroughs and we would

33:54like those written reports. One happened

33:56at Metro last week, one happened at

33:58Salantano yesterday, New Haven Academy

34:00today. We would like to know those ahead

34:02of time because our teachers want to

34:05participate in those walkthroughs. We

34:07need compassion, communication,

34:09accountability for the teachers who are

34:11most impacted. Um, teachers need

34:13reimbursement for damaged materials.

34:16Teachers are being told to figure out

34:17your own transportation plan that you

34:20could teach anywhere. You could teach on

34:21a sidewalk. Your your students are used

34:23to it. Um, they need time to set up when

34:25they're displaced.

34:28We need compassion and accountability

34:31and we are going to take action. NHFT.

34:34Um, and we urge you all to join us.

34:36There is a Yukon indoor air quality

34:38initiative that will deliver filters

34:40that students and teachers can build

34:43that will then monitor the air and take

34:45over 99% of the viruses out of the air.

34:49Why are we not doing this? And then

34:51there is a clean air challenge from the

34:53American Lung Association that we are

34:55also going to seek out. We are creative.

34:58We are committed to this work. We will

35:00continue to be collaborative. I

35:01recognize this is a stressful time for a

35:03lot of people. I don't think it's more

35:06stressful than it is for the teachers

35:09who are getting rained on in their

35:10rooms. Um, and those students as well.

35:13Thank you for your time. Appreciate

35:15[applause]

35:21[laughter]

35:23>> two things. One, are there questions?

35:27Sorry, but just for clarity and for our

35:30own understanding, can all the teachers

35:32stand up so we can see

35:38[applause]

35:43>> students and staff if I may.

35:45>> Thank you.

35:50>> Thank you, Mr. Chair.

35:53[applause]

36:00Thank you, Mr. Chair. Thanks for coming.

36:03Once again, I feel like you're at every

36:07hearing now. Um, I have a question. Um,

36:11seeing that um, our friend Jenny's role

36:14centered on facilities, can you

36:16[laughter] speak a little bit more about

36:18the impact of removing her and how

36:21that's affected your day-to-day? Yeah,

36:23it's um it's it's hard because we we

36:27like to attend the monthly meetings and

36:28we like to do the check-ins and we like

36:30to visit the schools and see what's this

36:33impact and take the time to chat with

36:35the principal and see did the work order

36:37get placed and do those things that a

36:39functioning loving community does

36:42because people have clear roles. Um that

36:45has been taken and as a result we have

36:48to be much more procedural about it. Um,

36:51and the interesting thing is being more

36:53procedural about it. Um, and maybe it's

36:55the paper trail has resulted in some

36:59initial responses. We can't lose sight

37:01though the humanity of this though. Um,

37:04that this this should be human centered

37:07work. Um, it it's taken an incredible

37:10toll on our members because they're not

37:12as sure who to turn to. Um, and it's

37:15taken a toll on a a prek special ed

37:19teacher who's given her career to New

37:21Haven public schools and kids and

37:23workers. Um, and it's unfair um to her

37:26and to the 1750 members that we

37:28represent.

37:30>> Thank you. I'll just say on behalf of

37:33myself, I appreciate Jenny and I'm sure

37:35I can speak for some of my colleagues as

37:36well.

37:37>> Thank you.

37:37>> Thank you. Thank you, Mr. Chair.

37:43>> [clears throat]

37:48>> Thank you, Mr. Chair, and thank you for

37:50being here. Um, I want to thank all of

37:53the courageous teachers for being here

37:54also. But my question to you is this.

37:57Have there has been any documentation of

38:01any teachers or students reporting any

38:04illness from the mold?

38:06>> Yes, there has. Um, thank you for saying

38:08that. And I want to direct um our our

38:12bargaining unit members to go to our

38:13website nhft933.org.

38:16There's an occupational health tab on

38:19our website that we encourage them if

38:21they are feeling ill from work because

38:24work should not make us sick. Um if they

38:26are feeling ill from work, they should

38:28follow the instructions on the

38:29occupational health tab. um document it

38:33with their principal, ensure that they

38:34have coverage, go to occupational health

38:37on Sherman A and file the necessary

38:39workers comp form. We have people with

38:41exacerbated asthma, um uh breathing

38:44conditions, um respiratory, uh

38:46complications, um that people are

38:48documenting those symptoms and reporting

38:50to occupational health.

38:53>> Thank you. I have been had the

38:55opportunity to walk back into the school

38:58in which I've graduated from Hill House

39:02and um went through the walk through

39:05which that we had and not just then but

39:08I witnessed a lot that was going on in

39:10there from the band room with leaking

39:12mode going on at also the third floor

39:16and I was one of the individuals that

39:19got really really sick and had to leave.

39:23um that facility. Was there any reports

39:26that any type of remediation has been

39:29done into that school?

39:33Yes. And I think the the presenters

39:37after me can speak more in the technical

39:39details. I'm a social studies teacher

39:40and a union leader. Um so I'm not going

39:42to attempt to describe some of the re

39:45remediations, although I do want to name

39:47two things. I'm glad you named the band

39:49room. oftentimes when instruments and

39:52uniforms get damaged from mold, which is

39:55not just at Hill House, it's at Hill

39:56Central, it's at Mororrow Sheridan. It's

39:58oftentimes the teachers taking money out

40:01of their own pocket to remediate and

40:04clean those materials and they do it

40:06because they know that otherwise they're

40:09really it's not going to happen. And

40:11they know those kids rely on that

40:13costume, not costume, uniform, pardon

40:16me, uh for the parade, for the

40:17performance, uh to learn the instrument.

40:21And again, it's a it's an issue of

40:22Pennywise pound foolish, you know, and I

40:26know money is an issue, and I will

40:28forever speak of the reality of the two

40:29Connecticut. I always will and and

40:31everyone in this room knows I will. But

40:33we have to do better with how we spend

40:35our money because now we're replacing

40:37pricey instruments. teachers are paying

40:39out of their own pocket. It's incredibly

40:42frustrating. Um, and I am concerned uh

40:47about one of the rooms at Hill House

40:50that is still operational and open. Um,

40:52it has been reported that some chemicals

40:54have been used in the room to clean and

40:57that now students and teachers are

41:00feeling a different kind of burning

41:01sensation when they are in that room.

41:03Um, and people are reporting an

41:05increased use of masks in that room. So,

41:09that might just be they are not used to

41:11that smell. But I think like let's let's

41:14take the village here to make sure that

41:16we are being as safe as possible with

41:18remediation. Um when when people were in

41:21that room for one of the lockdowns um

41:24people reported having to leave in the

41:25middle of the lockdown because of the

41:28air quality in that room that is still

41:29open um for people to use.

41:33>> Last question, Mr. Chair. I feel your

41:34frustration. I'm just as mad as you are

41:37when it comes down to that. I recently

41:38seen a picture online of rodents that

41:42are in the school. Um, has there been

41:45any type of uh

41:48uh

41:49where they have the uh exterminators to

41:53come in and um if you know why this

41:56haven't been taking place before the

41:58school year has started. I mean, all

42:00summer long, the board of education had

42:02plenty of time to do what they had to do

42:05within the schools before children came

42:06back. We often say children are first,

42:09but children are not being first in the

42:12board of education. It's like central

42:14office is being first.

42:15>> That's right.

42:16>> And not the children. And I want to let

42:19you know, keep doing what you're doing.

42:21And I hope that the parents continue to

42:23do what they do. And I want to say thank

42:24you to you all that showed up. Thank

42:26you, Mr. Chair. I think um again I'll

42:29yield to the to the facilities folks to

42:31speak more to that and I would make the

42:33recommendation that we ultimately should

42:36and I you know I like to look forward

42:38not back but we are paying pest control

42:42to come and I'm not sure we're getting

42:45our money's worth and I'm not sure is

42:48pest control doing what they're saying

42:49they're doing. Um, we'll hear sometimes

42:52anecdotal reports of a building steward

42:56talking to the building manager and the

42:57building manager say, "I put the work

42:59order in. They didn't come." And and

43:02that's I'm operating in hearsay, right?

43:04So, but that's got to be fact checked by

43:06somebody. We put the work order in. Did

43:08they come when? What did they do? What

43:11did we pay for? And if the mice or the

43:13roaches are still there, why are we

43:16paying them again? you know, they m

43:18what's the contract say uh between the

43:21board and this company that is allowing

43:23them to charge us for work that is

43:25underdone. Um it it's frustrating and

43:28again it's another example of us losing

43:31materials, a tremendous amount of rugs

43:33and other early childhood learning

43:35supplies had to be thrown away at Mayo

43:38because of the pests there. This is this

43:41is not good stewardship of our resources

43:45as a community. And I know that we can

43:47do better through increased

43:48accountability, increased support from

43:51from this team um and a full team on the

43:54board of ed side. We need a full team on

43:57the board that side. This and I've said

43:58this before, this could be a jobs

44:00program for New Haveners who need jobs.

44:05Let's put the money behind that.

44:07[applause]

44:08Totally agree. Thank you, Mr. Chair.

44:10>> I'd like to acknowledge that Alder

44:11Miller and Alder Kim have now joined us.

44:14They are part of the committee.

44:16>> Are there any other questions at this

44:18time? Any other questions? Alder.

44:23>> Thank you, Mr. Chair. Uh, just a quick

44:25question. Thank you so much for your

44:26leadership and this this clear and

44:29wellsupported presentation. Um, we had a

44:31meeting this summer where we talked

44:32about work orders for a really long time

44:34and the backlog. Um, I was just

44:36wondering how have things improved if at

44:39all this year in terms of responsiveness

44:41and the backlog of work orders and is

44:43there a standard in the district for how

44:46quickly a teacher will hear after they

44:49submit something or how quickly someone

44:51will come?

44:51>> I don't think there's a standard. I

44:53think that would be an area of

44:54improvement and I think there have been

44:56some um there have been some

44:58improvements. Um, I know there was a

45:00much discussed broken locks on adult

45:02bathrooms in New Haven Academy. That got

45:05fixed. Let's celebrate that. I I'm here

45:07to recognize when things get fixed. And

45:09I know sometimes it's the easier things

45:12that can get fixed because again, the

45:14HVAC and the roof, they're going to take

45:16many months to address. Um, so it it's

45:18going to take, especially as ABM

45:21transitions out, it's going to take

45:23dedicated people to triage these um, and

45:26then order the necessary necessary

45:28repairs. I mean, we're triaging in our

45:30office when we get complaints. We have

45:33over a hundred complaints that we've

45:34received. We triage those and file

45:37grievances on the most significant ones,

45:40which means we still have a backlog of

45:42another 50 that have not yet been filed.

45:44and we receive complaints um every day.

45:48So um you know I I think between shared

45:52ownership of the walkthroughs, continued

45:55collaboration with the facilities team

45:57and ensuring that the facilities team is

45:58made whole as we transition out from

46:01ABM. I think we will find our rhythm. Um

46:04but we are going to need support and

46:06resources for this 100%.

46:09>> A huge thank you to all the students and

46:11parents here tonight. Is there a way

46:13that we can bring students and parents

46:15into this fight? Um, and like what can

46:18they do if they're feeling angry,

46:20confused, lacking the transparency?

46:22>> Get the information, right? Information,

46:24lower stress. I always try to tell

46:25management that information, access to

46:28information, lower stress. Share the

46:30updates. Right? Why is it that teachers

46:34at Truman weren't aware that the roof is

46:38getting is is on the list? Why do they

46:40not know that? or maybe they they become

46:42just so jaded that they don't believe

46:44it. I I don't know. Um but information

46:46is power. So they should go on the

46:48district website, find the environment

46:51report for their school. They should go

46:52talk to the principal. The principal has

46:55deep pride in each of their buildings

46:57and offer as a partner, say, "Can I join

46:59the walkthrough when the city comes

47:01through? Is there something that you'd

47:03like me to raise awareness uh about with

47:05our alder?" Because chances are engaged

47:07parents have relationships with the

47:08alders. Um I think just don't let this

47:11go away. Um because we we are going to

47:14make progress and then come January when

47:19budget season starts both locally and at

47:22the state we the way Alder Hogan brought

47:24the whole Alder team here. All of us

47:28must go to Hartford and we must demand

47:31that the billionaires pay more and that

47:33we get that money and we bring it right

47:35here to our community. And that's not to

47:36make an excuse. New Haven has to be good

47:39stewards of those resources, but but we

47:42do not have enough resources. What's the

47:45quote? We should be spending $7 a square

47:47foot and we're only spending three

47:48something to that effect. That's the

47:51reality. So, it's always a both end. We

47:54need more resources and the resources

47:56must be stewarded in in more thoughtful

47:59and caring ways.

48:00>> Thank you.

48:01>> Thank you, Mr. Chair. Any other

48:02questions? A must

48:05all the president.

48:06>> Uh thank you, Mr. chair and thank you

48:08Miss Black for your presentation.

48:15[clears throat]

48:20>> I'm usually pretty loud. So, um, thank

48:23you, Mr. Chair. Thank you, Miss Lateau,

48:25for your presentation. And thank you to

48:27the teacher, staff, and students that

48:28are here tonight, as well as my

48:30colleagues. Um, you know, being someone

48:32that has served on the finance committee

48:34for the past 13 years, I know that there

48:36are funds that are put into the capital

48:39budget as well as other funds that we're

48:41constantly voting in for specific things

48:45uh for the board vet to use,

48:46particularly for

48:48school construction and maintenance,

48:50etc. And over the last five years, do we

48:53know how much New Haven has actually put

48:56into its school buildings? Where did it

48:59go? and which schools received it and

49:02what is left unspent. Because if my

49:05calculation is correct, over the last

49:07five years, it's $78 million

49:10in that fiveyear period that we have

49:14committed to some kind of school

49:17something um

49:18>> specific to construction and

49:19maintenance.

49:21>> Um

49:21>> or hard to say.

49:22>> It's hard to say, you know, because we

49:24could appropriate money, but that

49:26doesn't equal expenditure. Um,

49:30you know, but I know I mean I remember

49:33even under Mr. Clark when he was uh with

49:36the city with the board of ed as the

49:38chief operating officer and I remember

49:40you mentioned King Robinson. I remember

49:42specifically putting $5 million into

49:46that school for I want to say it was a

49:48wall that was starting to crumble. Um,

49:50you know, I'll have to go back years

49:52ago, but I my brain remembers I don't

49:55want to say stupid stuff, but it

49:57remembers stupid stuff. Um,

49:59>> significant stuff.

50:01>> Significant [laughter] stuff. So, you

50:02know, so that would be my question over

50:05the last five years, how much money has

50:07New Haven actually put into its school

50:08buildings? Where did it go? And which

50:11schools received it and what is unspent

50:14and what are we doing? because I know

50:16that the board of alders through the

50:18years has have always asked about

50:21maintenance. What are we doing to

50:22maintain our schools? [clears throat] Uh

50:24the HVAC grants that comes up every year

50:27as to whether we applied and I know that

50:29we missed some opportunities in applying

50:31for those grants. Um

50:34so anyway, those are pretty much what

50:37>> I look forward to management answering

50:39your question.

50:40>> Thank you. Thank you, Mr. J.

50:44>> Thank you, Miss [clears throat] Platau.

50:45Thank you. Appreciate the time.

50:50>> I now will ask uh our chief

50:52administrative officer and his team from

50:55the city and community services to come

50:57up. Um we will get to public testimony

51:00shortly. I think it's important that you

51:02hear how inspections are completed. Um

51:05so as you make your comments, we can

51:08also know what the city's position is on

51:10how these inspections are completed as

51:12well. [clears throat]

51:17didn't like

51:37test pass test.

51:42You could sit here

51:51[laughter]

51:57[cough]

51:58[clears throat]

52:00in the room. We'll hear from them first.

52:07>> We need you for a question.

52:10Yeah, [laughter]

52:11I knew there were going to be a lot of

52:18[cough]

52:19>> So, welcome. Um, please state your name

52:23and your address and position you hold

52:25in the city so that we are

52:31addressing

52:34Ingram Street, Hampton.

52:38Oh, uh, emergency management director,

52:42>> Robert [clears throat] Dylan, 632

52:43Woodward Avenue in New Haven, uh,

52:45director of OBI.

52:49>> Eliza Holly, community services

52:51administrator

52:54road.

52:56Brian Wick, New Health Department, 424

53:00Street.

53:02Uh Justin McCarthy, chief administrative

53:04officer, 500 Street

53:07Samuel, assistant chief of New Fire

53:09Department, 952 Grand Avenue.

53:13>> Jerry Rein, New Haven Fire Marshall, 952

53:17Grand Avenue.

53:20>> Brook, deputy health director, New Haven

53:22Health Department.

53:27>> Good evening, Alders. Um, so I guess

53:30we'll give you a quick overview of what

53:31our teams have done, both uh, community

53:33services administrator Eliza Hollyy and

53:36my teams have done in regards to the

53:37board of education. Much of this has

53:39been an ongoing um, thing that's been in

53:43many cases going on for my lifetime with

53:46the fire marshals. Um, some of it's

53:48rather new, but ultimately it is a goal

53:52of ours to make sure that all the

53:53students and teachers are safe, right?

53:55So there's a couple things. I'm going to

53:56start at the highest level and we'll

53:58work down those annually. Every year the

54:01fire marshall's office is required by

54:04law to inspect the schools while they're

54:06in the schools. They have to check for

54:08all the life safety things. And I'll

54:10turn over to you in a second. Uh fire

54:12marshal Ryan um to go over specifics,

54:15but ultimately they go into every school

54:17and they're checking for things like

54:19egress, right? Blocked egresses, blocked

54:21doors. They're looking at exit signs,

54:23emergency signs. um fire panels, so fire

54:27alarms, sprinklers, making sure that

54:30things aren't obstructed, making

54:31[clears throat] sure that there aren't

54:33um you know, in many cases uh surge

54:36protectors that are conied and chained

54:39up together. Um things that would

54:41present a fire hazard. That is

54:43specifically what the fire marshals are

54:44doing on an annual basis. And that's

54:46typically done from late July through

54:49August. And every single school has to

54:51have that done. If there is an immediate

54:54life safety issue, the fire marshal

54:56who's assigned um will address it

54:59immediately. That could be something

55:00like a ching door or box is blocking any

55:04US door. If there are other things like

55:06a door magnet that isn't functioning

55:08properly, that is something that would

55:10be put onto a list, shared with the

55:12appropriate folks, and then there would

55:14be a reinspection to ensure that those

55:17specific life safety issues were

55:19mitigated. So that goes on every year.

55:21that's been going on for, as all of you

55:23know, I came from fire. It's been going

55:25on since far long before my fire

55:27department career um existed.

55:30Slightly moving over to the to the

55:32emergency management side of the house,

55:35um what Kayla's team has been tasked

55:37with doing every year by the state of

55:40Connecticut through Dennis, right? Um is

55:43to do what are called school safety

55:45books. All right. The school safety

55:47books are for active threat or major

55:50hazards that are presented within a

55:52school. These are done at both a

55:54district-wide level and then a an actual

55:57school by school. Every school has its

55:58own book. So many of the principles are

56:01very familiar with Kayla Moral who will

56:03come around work with them to make sure

56:05the school safety books are done

56:07correctly and updated. Each year the

56:10state of Connecticut Department of

56:11Homeland Security comes up with a new

56:14template for the book. they make

56:15adjustments to the book and it has

56:17everything from exit plans to um

56:20relocation schools where you would um if

56:23you had to evacuate a school which

56:25school the the students would go to in

56:27that instance or where what location

56:29they might go to who certain points of

56:31contact are the books are rather large

56:35um and they're updated every single year

56:37typically the new format comes out in

56:39July between July and August and then

56:43there's a November 1 deadline So

56:45actively as we speak right now, the

56:46books are in process to be updated. Um

56:48KO's worked very hard to make it a more

56:50streamlined process because it wasn't

56:52always the most streamlined process. So

56:55those are two things that happen

56:56annually and have always happened and

56:58continue to happen. Now moving on to

57:01what what we did last year. um starting

57:04last year, occasionally when Rick

57:07Fontana was was here, um he did it, but

57:10it was more formalized last year under

57:12Kayla um and her staff, which was an

57:15rolling school walk through based on the

57:19school safety and security meeting. So,

57:21um [clears throat] every month there's a

57:23school safety and security meeting. That

57:25school safety and security meeting was

57:26designed um after many of the horrific

57:29incidents that we saw around the country

57:31to bring school safety uh and security

57:33officers together, police officers, fire

57:36officials, some of the uh leadership of

57:38the board of ed to discuss through

57:40things like uh we've discussed numbering

57:43of doors and windows to make sure that

57:44people could see which room you're

57:46talking about from the exterior, making

57:48sure that [clears throat] schools are

57:48locked, making sure that there's um

57:51lockdown procedures that are updated,

57:53right? We identify issues. We talk about

57:56various issues that might come up and

57:57then we try to address those issues in

57:58that format. That meeting has also

58:01morphed into school walkthroughs to

58:03verify that certain things are in place

58:05like perimeter doors are locked during

58:07the school day. Um that doors are not

58:10propped open, that they can be locked,

58:11that there's a um

58:14that safety uh measures are being taken

58:17with exit signs for instance. Right? I

58:19can remember when I went to school, exit

58:20signs were a joke of kids who would jump

58:22up and break the exit sign. That can't

58:25happen. We try to make sure that when

58:26that happens, exit signs are repaired

58:28and fixed and that they're functioning

58:30properly, that fire alarms are

58:31functioning properly. Um to President

58:33Bleto's point, uh that PA systems are

58:36working properly. Right? So, these are

58:38things that the school safety and

58:40security group initially [clears throat]

58:42started looking at. As that um team

58:46started to identify other things, some

58:48more things were being brought to their

58:49attention. And I'll let Eliza uh

58:52director fall's um team discuss it more,

58:56but more people started coming forward

58:58and saying, "Hey, you're here. You're

58:59putting this on a list. Have you thought

59:01about X?" Right? Could be something from

59:03the school nurses in regards to a

59:05lockdown. It could be something about um

59:08uh doors around a pool. Right? that

59:10those were all things that were kind of

59:12brought up as a result of these school

59:15safety and security meetings. So, that's

59:17been done on a rolling basis and we

59:19actually started making it to

59:20reinspections during last year's uh

59:24creation of these walkthroughs. To be

59:27clear, that was never the intent of the

59:30group to go looking for things like

59:33leaky loops, right? That wasn't the

59:35intent of the group. And I think that's

59:36been missed in some of the conversations

59:38that I've had. It was not the intent to

59:40go looking for building maintenance

59:42issues per se, but more so safety and

59:44security [clears throat] issues and then

59:47things started ending up on lists. All

59:48right. We work very closely, our teams

59:52work very closely with Dr. White and his

59:54team, which his team has evolved and

59:56changed, but to make sure that the most

1:00:00serious of issues are addressed

1:00:02immediately and that then there is a

1:00:04triage of issues that we think are

1:00:06really important that need to be

1:00:07addressed. But that's the intent of

1:00:09those. I'm going to turn it over to

1:00:11Eliza Hollyy to talk a little bit more

1:00:12about what her team and then we can come

1:00:15back to what um where uh Obie and Tom

1:00:19Dylan have been in as the building

1:00:21department. So

1:00:24>> thanks C McCarthy. Um so our team our

1:00:27our CSA team involved in school

1:00:30inspections is primarily the health

1:00:32department. Um they typically do annual

1:00:35inspections and their purview is

1:00:38cafeterias and pools. Um I think you

1:00:41went through a very comprehensive list

1:00:43over the past year. Additionally to the

1:00:46pools and cafeterias, our nursing team

1:00:49has um been a part of Kayla's emergency

1:00:52management team inspections um over the

1:00:55course of the year and part of those

1:00:57regular safety meetings. Um so again our

1:01:01teams the health department's

1:01:03inspections are typically annual. Um

1:01:05they have become a part of more recent

1:01:09um and regular inspections in multiple

1:01:12schools um and have updates related to

1:01:15those recent inspections.

1:01:18So then if you would fast forward to the

1:01:20most recent period of time, we've added

1:01:24um Bob Dylan has has gone out as the

1:01:26building official to assist in some of

1:01:28the most recent walkthroughs. And um

1:01:30Bob, I don't know if you want to talk

1:01:32about some of the the things that you've

1:01:34been involved with most recently.

1:01:35>> Yeah. So um I think we've done uh today

1:01:38seven school inspections including uh

1:01:41this afternoon. Um it's pretty accurate.

1:01:44Um, so when I do the walkthrough with

1:01:46the group, uh, we I look for things that

1:01:49we start up on the third floor, uh, the

1:01:51highest floor. We look for like roof

1:01:52leaks, uh, ceiling tiles, and I, you

1:01:55know, we try to or I try to identify if

1:01:58it's an actual roof leak or if it's an

1:02:00HVAC leak, uh, you know, because chill

1:02:02water is in the schools and it does

1:02:04condensate. That's your air

1:02:06conditioning. So, is it a heating leak

1:02:08or is it a roof leak? Um and then I

1:02:11looked at some of the filters and the

1:02:12fan coil units that were in the

1:02:14classrooms

1:02:15um from that nature. Um and then also

1:02:17some of the stuff that the far marshall

1:02:19looked at we look at as well in the OBI

1:02:21side. I checked several outlets and

1:02:24plugs in the classrooms as I marched

1:02:26through these schools. So we have a

1:02:28tester tester make sure that the

1:02:30continuity is correct at the outlets and

1:02:32plugs identified the ones that were

1:02:34incorrect and just kept going forward

1:02:36with it. And we also looked at the pools

1:02:39as well and career hill house.

1:02:44Yeah. And then in the mechanical rooms

1:02:46we took a walk through as well. Again,

1:02:49it's going

1:02:51>> just to be clear though, that's not

1:02:53something that you would typically do in

1:02:54a private building.

1:02:55>> No, we don't do we do not do annual

1:02:57inspections. Uh OPI does not anywhere in

1:03:00the state. just happy to help and just

1:03:03bring a another level of expertise and

1:03:06try to do some problem solving.

1:03:09>> So, just to add um and then I'll turn it

1:03:12back over. The other thing that we've

1:03:13done most recently for my teams is we've

1:03:16involved some of our engineering staff

1:03:17to help work with um the board of ed to

1:03:20be um

1:03:23assistants and people who can help

1:03:26review whether it's um roofs, right, or

1:03:29or different projects that might be

1:03:31going on to ensure that there

1:03:34there's good information coming in

1:03:36because we're getting a lot of

1:03:37information in and making sure that

1:03:39there's somebody who's a a subject

1:03:41matter expert reviewing that. So we

1:03:42we've asked our engineering team uh both

1:03:45Giovani Zinn and some of uh the staff

1:03:48Chris Flanigan is another one who's been

1:03:50uh helping out with some of the schools

1:03:52most recently to ensure that the

1:03:54projects are on course.

1:03:56So happy to take any questions.

1:03:58>> Absolutely. I'll start with a couple

1:04:00questions. Um, I actually read every

1:04:03fire marshall report that was submitted

1:04:05to the panel and at the end there it

1:04:07says refer to a spreadsheet any work

1:04:10orders that were seen. What does that

1:04:12mean?

1:04:15>> Refer to the spreadsheet. So what we

1:04:17have is we have the annual inspection

1:04:19that CEO McCarthy has already touched

1:04:21upon and that is uh comes with the

1:04:23Connecticut General Statutes 541. All

1:04:25our marshals are responsible for the

1:04:27annual inspection. We also have what we

1:04:29call the rolling inspection. So what

1:04:31that means is as we're going through the

1:04:32building and we note things that need

1:04:35repair. Um as CEO McCarthy has already

1:04:38noted, there are majors, there are

1:04:40minors and there are stuff that um we we

1:04:43can continue to uh work with. Um so what

1:04:46we have is for example, we walk into a

1:04:48building, we see that the exit sign is

1:04:49broken. We take note of that. We record

1:04:52that on the date and um from there we do

1:04:56a followup until this situation is taken

1:04:59care of. Um some of the uh other issues

1:05:02that we come across again uh things such

1:05:05as extension cords um they're not

1:05:08allowed as permanent wiring inside the

1:05:09schools. So we address those we make

1:05:12sure that they're removed. We do a

1:05:13followup. um some [clears throat] of the

1:05:16more pressing issues, more uh more

1:05:19serious fire alarm systems, sprinkler

1:05:21systems. Again, we address those issues

1:05:24immediately. Um and we stay on it on top

1:05:27of it until it is corrected. Uh

1:05:31if a fire fire alarm system or sprinkler

1:05:34system should go out of service, then we

1:05:36implement an immediate fire watch 247

1:05:38until that problem is corrected.

1:05:41>> So to I'm sorry. And if I may, the

1:05:43spreadsheet that you're referring to is

1:05:45a spreadsheet that's shared between um

1:05:47departments between the office of

1:05:49emergency management and as well as the

1:05:53department.

1:05:54>> So who's accountable for the

1:05:55spreadsheet?

1:05:56>> So currently the spreadsheet is kept by

1:05:58emergency management. They're the

1:06:00keepers. There's many viewers and people

1:06:02who can input data into that

1:06:05spreadsheet.

1:06:06>> So this document which submitted is all

1:06:09spreadsheet of open items.

1:06:11>> [clears throat]

1:06:11>> Who's accountable for following up with

1:06:14the board ahead on these issues that

1:06:16remain? So, let's say you as the fire

1:06:18marshall determine there is a safety

1:06:19hazard and it doesn't get resolved. What

1:06:21is your what are your actions?

1:06:24>> So, if the situation does get resolved,

1:06:26we stay on top of it until it does get

1:06:27resolved. Um, I have reached out uh to

1:06:30Dr. Paul White and I've sent him letters

1:06:32over some issues that need immediate

1:06:35attention. I am, excuse me, I am met

1:06:39with compliance immediately. We verify

1:06:42that and we note it.

1:06:45>> So to speak to that, I think what what

1:06:48the fire marshall is speaking about is

1:06:51we've had instances where we've actually

1:06:53shut sections of schools down based on

1:06:55the fire marshall's evaluation. That was

1:06:57done in at least one school most

1:06:59recently that I know of. When that

1:07:02happens

1:07:03or when there is a serious issue that

1:07:06requires immediate attention, I can say

1:07:08that Dr. White has been very receptive

1:07:10to getting that addressed immediately

1:07:12and that's typically done through

1:07:14conversations with the fire marshal,

1:07:16through emails, through Kayla's uh

1:07:19meetings with Dr. White. Those things

1:07:21are many of the issues are things that

1:07:23we know are going to take time. For

1:07:25instance, and and Dr. Dr. White could

1:07:28speak more of this because he's the

1:07:30expert on the schools, right? Um,

1:07:33exit signs are different in

1:07:35[clears throat] each school. There's not

1:07:37a offtheshelf exit sign. So, we attempt

1:07:40to get proper exit signs up where

1:07:43[clears throat] we can while they might

1:07:45have a specific exit sign on back order.

1:07:47So, it will remain open because we have

1:07:49a temporary exit sign up, but then once

1:07:52that exit sign is replaced, it would be

1:07:53a closed item. That would be an example

1:07:55of something that happens. we address

1:07:57it. There's an exit sign up, but it's

1:08:00not maybe it's not the green exit sign

1:08:02that was originally there. So, it will

1:08:04remain open. That's the best of my

1:08:06knowledge for Dr. White and and Dr.

1:08:08probably speak better to that.

1:08:10>> Okay.

1:08:10>> Mr. Dylan or Director Dylan,

1:08:12>> when you do an inspection and you find

1:08:14deficiencies or let's say that you

1:08:16walked across maybe three months ago and

1:08:19there was dripping water and it ran

1:08:21through a tube that ran across the

1:08:22ceiling and into a blue bucket. Um, do

1:08:25you because it's not in your scope to

1:08:27look at, do you note that in your notes?

1:08:29>> So, I've done these seven school

1:08:32inspections. I've not done any in the

1:08:34past other than co. Um, so when I did

1:08:36these inspections and we'll keep going

1:08:38forward with it. Um, they're in my

1:08:40notes. I have uh your your team of

1:08:43building managers with us at the time

1:08:46and they also note it. So, that would be

1:08:48your accountant and also we have Dr.

1:08:51White as well and our notes are shared.

1:08:54So, um, whether it's a, you know, a pan

1:08:57sealant towel with a hose like you

1:08:59indicated to a bucket. I pointed it out

1:09:01and I've taken photos out and that was

1:09:03for sure.

1:09:05>> Okay. Miss Hollyy. Um, we visited four

1:09:09schools and then, you know, got reports

1:09:11of three nurses stations that either had

1:09:13mold, mice, or leaks. Your department,

1:09:16they were actually the nurses work for

1:09:17the health department if I'm not

1:09:18mistaken. So if they're working in a

1:09:21situation that is not safe, what actions

1:09:23do you take?

1:09:25>> Do you do you want to speak to the the

1:09:28actual inspection? [clears throat]

1:09:30>> So currently the So currently the

1:09:33inspections that that we're

1:09:36apologies. Um so under our authority

1:09:38under the public health code, the only

1:09:39two places that we have authority on are

1:09:41the area people. So when we go in, we're

1:09:44not looking at the nursing station or

1:09:45anything else like that. Um we do

1:09:47respond to nuisance complaint violations

1:09:51um which get filed with us and then

1:09:52sanitarian will follow up on those. So

1:09:55those are anything that are filed with

1:09:56us they are followed up on. Um currently

1:09:59we've only had one nuisance complaint

1:10:01filed with our office uh which was for a

1:10:04uh a rodent issue in a school which

1:10:06turned out to be a teacher keeping food

1:10:08in their um

1:10:11closet over the summer which the mice

1:10:13ended up getting into. So that was

1:10:15worked through. Once we received it, we

1:10:17contacted Dr. White and he immediately

1:10:20went investigated it, found out what the

1:10:22issue was, and it was corrected on site.

1:10:24So it was a it was a pretty pretty easy

1:10:28shot of that one. And then for the

1:10:30nursing issues that are flagged as part

1:10:33of the emergency management team that

1:10:35Kayla um convenes, those are flagged

1:10:39again for Dr. White and his team for

1:10:40followup. Kayla, you want to speak?

1:10:43Yeah, sure. Um,

1:10:46yeah, the the spreadsheet that started

1:10:48out as what we thought would be just

1:10:50public safety things to note as we're

1:10:53walking through, we noticed many other

1:10:55things that we thought were of note but

1:10:57maybe weren't in our lane that did end

1:10:59up getting noted. So, this did sort of

1:11:01snowball, but um, anything that the

1:11:03nurses have noted in their walkthroughs

1:11:06made it into the spreadsheet as well.

1:11:08Um, that is shared with Dr. White. It

1:11:11was also shared with AVM staff um that

1:11:14we move over to who whomever takes over

1:11:16that that process. But um within the

1:11:19spreadsheet we it kind of evolved into

1:11:22we continue to improve it. It was a

1:11:24working document. We added in a section

1:11:27for the work order number and

1:11:30anticipated completion date as well as

1:11:32the completion date. So um that's been

1:11:35helping us. And then the the meetings

1:11:38are actually um twice a month and we

1:11:41would go through the spreadsheet um and

1:11:44and look for updates that way as well.

1:11:46So some of the things the nurses noted

1:11:48were um or we would note about the

1:11:50nursing suites would be if if there was

1:11:52a lockdown, not every door locked. So

1:11:55they would have to go into another room

1:11:57to be able to lock that door to be in a

1:11:59locked space. So, um, that was the main

1:12:02issue we addressed. Or a fire marshal

1:12:04issue, like they had papers stacked on

1:12:07top of filing cabinets that were too

1:12:08close to the ceiling, something like

1:12:10that that was easily, you know, just

1:12:12move move the papers type thing that

1:12:14could was fixed right right there on

1:12:16site. So, um, that's what we came across

1:12:19a lot in the nursing suites or, um, the

1:12:23need to have the medication locked up

1:12:25was another one. if there were students

1:12:27that were taking meds.

1:12:30>> So, what I basically heard from everyone

1:12:33except from the young lady to my far

1:12:34left is that you do inspections and you

1:12:37report your findings to Dr. White and

1:12:39that's the common denominator and that's

1:12:40where you're all leaving it with Dr.

1:12:42White. Is that for accountability?

1:12:47>> So, it's yes, right? So, ultimately yes.

1:12:50>> Okay. Short answer period. Yes.

1:12:52>> You answer the question. Okay.

1:12:53>> Thank you. Uh any other committee

1:12:55members? Um, Alder Smith have a

1:12:57question.

1:12:59>> Thank you, Alder Hogan, and thank you

1:13:00all for being here. I just want to

1:13:03clarify, get clarification.

1:13:06You all did the inspections. You found

1:13:09your findings.

1:13:11My question is, if we were in

1:13:15a six family unit building,

1:13:18house, I was doing inspections. We did a

1:13:20sweep in there. Alder Hogan and Brian

1:13:23can contest. We found a lot of

1:13:25violations. One of the first things we

1:13:28do when we find a violation is to shut

1:13:30it down and put the red tag on Brian.

1:13:32>> So we currently in the health

1:13:34department, we don't cover residential.

1:13:36We only cover commercial.

1:13:37>> Okay. So you currently cover

1:13:39commercials.

1:13:39>> We That's the way the public health code

1:13:41is. At least in um other towns, the

1:13:44health department does cover residential

1:13:45issues. In New Haven, we only cover

1:13:48issues.

1:13:49>> Okay. Thank you. What I'm trying to get

1:13:52to if

1:13:54A resident created a problem with their

1:13:58tenants

1:13:59and the city did inspections and found

1:14:02violations.

1:14:04We shut them down or we red tag it and

1:14:07close it and give them 24 hours to fix

1:14:10the problem.

1:14:12My question is how much time are we

1:14:15going to give the board of education

1:14:18time to fix their problems? So I I can

1:14:23[laughter]

1:14:25I can speak to that all there. One of

1:14:26the things to take note of is that when

1:14:29an issue has risen to a point of

1:14:32shutting down either an area or a

1:14:34specific zone within the school. It has

1:14:37been done in many cases. Last year the

1:14:40fire marshall did in fact order um fire

1:14:43watches for some of the schools. I I

1:14:46know because I see the slips that come

1:14:48in from the overtime. Right. up. So

1:14:50[clears throat] when there's an alarm

1:14:51panel down, firefighters are on site. Um

1:14:55in one case there was doors that were

1:14:56not operational. That entire area of the

1:14:58school was closed off immediately. Um

1:15:01many of the other issues rise to

1:15:05um a reinspection period. We are then

1:15:08reinspecting. What we are finding,

1:15:10what's being reported back to me is in

1:15:12many of the cases certain things that

1:15:14are flat are in fact fixed. However,

1:15:18there's a new issue right right next to

1:15:20it. The exit signs are a perfect

1:15:22example. The board of ed staff

1:15:26unfortunately chases things like exit

1:15:28signs all day constantly. Now, that

1:15:31isn't enough to warrant closing the

1:15:33school, but it's enough to warrant an

1:15:36action to be taken. Magnets for the

1:15:39automatic closers on doors, right? If

1:15:41the door is closed, we would prefer

1:15:44that, right? That's the intent of the

1:15:45door is to protect people if there's a

1:15:47bug. If the magnet isn't working to hold

1:15:49the door open, what we don't want to see

1:15:51is the door chopped open, right? Because

1:15:54it defeats the purpose of the door. So,

1:15:56if the door is able to be closed and

1:15:57pushed open, that's a horse of a

1:16:01different color than if the door is not

1:16:02there or the doors propped open. Right?

1:16:06So, a lot of these issues and like what

1:16:07Kayla said, when we identify the issues,

1:16:10people do take action, right? If we see

1:16:12something, we were just in a meeting

1:16:13recently. I was with the fire marshal.

1:16:16He raised that there is often times

1:16:17things um decorations hanging from a

1:16:20sprinkler. When it's identified, it's

1:16:21immediately taken down. It's not

1:16:23something that they leave, right? But

1:16:25unfortunately

1:16:27in this instance, right, it's it's not

1:16:29maybe a leaking roof. Maybe it is

1:16:31something hanging from a sprinkler. It

1:16:33may be taken down and then we come back

1:16:35next year, it's back up and it's this

1:16:37this back and forth again, right? So,

1:16:39it's not a slight on anybody. It's

1:16:41education. It's making sure people know.

1:16:42I actually just worked with the fire

1:16:44marshall's office on the seven things

1:16:46they've seen most commonly in schools

1:16:47during these inspections. We're going to

1:16:49share that over to the board of ed to to

1:16:51better give them an idea of what they're

1:16:52looking for. Like the extension cords,

1:16:55like the sur protector plugged into a

1:16:57sur protector, right? That's a common

1:16:58thing we're seeing. It's not allowed.

1:17:00So, we're trying to educate and make

1:17:01people aware of what what this team was

1:17:04designed to [clears throat] look for,

1:17:05right? And I just I emphasize again that

1:17:09there's very specific purviews of the

1:17:11people who are up here and they they

1:17:13have very specific lanes and I think

1:17:15that there's different things there,

1:17:18right? And there's everybody's trying to

1:17:20see what they could see, but everybody's

1:17:22also looking from their their specific

1:17:24expertise level.

1:17:25>> Thank you.

1:17:26>> One second. Uh I just wanted to

1:17:28acknowledge that Alder Hubard and Alder

1:17:29Douglas uh have have appeared and for

1:17:32the record half the board of aldermans

1:17:34came to this um meeting.

1:17:39[applause]

1:17:40I just I just want to say thank you CO

1:17:43for um the work that your team has done

1:17:47and as you stated before I believe these

1:17:50questions are not for this team it's for

1:17:52the board of education. So thank you so

1:17:54very much. All the redemption. Go ahead.

1:17:59>> Thank you. CA. Um I guess going back

1:18:02like is there um

1:18:06for instance at my job right I have

1:18:0824hour 72 hour 96 hour I get a call

1:18:15the the extremity or like the emergency

1:18:18that's where we categorize things right?

1:18:20So, I'm sure that when each department

1:18:23goes out and they tag something, is

1:18:26there a chart or is there somewhere that

1:18:29we can go and look and see how how the

1:18:33things are categorized, right? Like

1:18:34what's an emergency?

1:18:36What is something that can be we can

1:18:39wait a week for? What you know, just

1:18:40like the exit signs, right? like

1:18:42something somewhere where we can see and

1:18:46it's transparent and and and it it would

1:18:49be better explained that hey there's a

1:18:52problem. We acknowledge we have actions

1:18:56upon it. It's not resolved. However,

1:18:59it's being worked on.

1:19:01>> So that's that's a complicated one and

1:19:03I'll explain where my brain goes because

1:19:05it's where I came from, right? Mhm.

1:19:07>> Being for the fire marshals, their code

1:19:10is extraordinarily complex, right? And

1:19:13they're operating out of a very thick

1:19:16book, right? Ultimately, that gets

1:19:19updated every so often. Um, different

1:19:22things meet different standards and and

1:19:25to the point that was raised multiple

1:19:27times and to what you were saying is

1:19:29that 247296

1:19:31mentality is we have things that have to

1:19:33be fixed while they're there, right? we

1:19:35have things that we're going to come

1:19:36back and check and then we have things

1:19:37that we know are going to take a period

1:19:40of time to work through. Um, so I don't

1:19:43think there's a clear chart per se and

1:19:45each one of these departments has unique

1:19:48statutory uh requirements if they're

1:19:50operating with it.

1:19:51>> So what would be something that would

1:19:53have to be fixed right on the spot if

1:19:54the fire department went out?

1:19:56>> Blocked exit.

1:19:58>> So in one of your reports, did that be

1:19:59considered a blocked exit?

1:20:00>> Yes. And that led to that area of the

1:20:02school being shut down. Okay. I'm sorry,

1:20:05committee members. There's a piece of

1:20:07plywood over at exterior door at Hill

1:20:09House. Joe Clark had trouble.

1:20:12>> Yeah. So, I can tell you that the fire

1:20:13marshals actually shut that section of

1:20:14the school down.

1:20:15>> And how long um can something like that

1:20:18remain shut down? Like, is that the

1:20:22remedy that it shut down?

1:20:24>> Well, so that was shut down until the

1:20:26appropriate action could be taken. I

1:20:28believe they were waiting on a door if

1:20:30I'm not mistaken. I went right

1:20:32>> special.

1:20:33>> Yeah. Yeah. So, they're waiting on a

1:20:34special door. They shut down the entire

1:20:36section. I think that was in the pool

1:20:37area. They shut that entire section down

1:20:39until that door was rectifi. The issue

1:20:41was rectified cuz not to get too far in

1:20:44the weeds, but when we when they do the

1:20:46exits and they do the ratings for that

1:20:48space, it's for that space, right? So,

1:20:51they the fire marshals would evaluate

1:20:52what that exit door is supposed to serve

1:20:54and then they shut down that area which

1:20:56which that exit door serves.

1:20:58>> So, and so let's say there were 10

1:21:01classrooms in that wing.

1:21:04that would be completely shut down that

1:21:05wing and then we'd be shifting those

1:21:07kids somewhere else.

1:21:08>> Quite possibly. Yes.

1:21:09>> Quite possibly.

1:21:10>> Yeah.

1:21:10>> Thank you.

1:21:14>> Thank you, Mr. Chair. Um, a lot of you

1:21:17[clears throat] have discussed which um

1:21:19statutes or regulations cover your

1:21:22oversight um of particular school

1:21:26buildings or safety parts of school

1:21:27buildings. And it seems like those

1:21:30regulations and statutes, whether state

1:21:33or municipal, don't cover actually what

1:21:37needs to be keeping our children and our

1:21:39teachers and our school communities

1:21:42truly holistically safe. Um there might

1:21:45be one in like fire and I think that the

1:21:47fire God I I I will never buy a Hogen

1:21:50lamp again because I I learned my hard

1:21:52lesson from the fire marshall and there

1:21:54other things but like or Brian you are

1:21:56one of the best health inspectors. I

1:21:57know all the restaurant people love you

1:21:59and you do the greatest job, but when

1:22:01you go in the schools, you know, we've

1:22:04had alders walk in and do not feel their

1:22:07health to be safe for air quality or

1:22:10other reasons. And so I don't know um

1:22:13other others maybe there is there are

1:22:15legislative solutions since we're a

1:22:17legislative body to find gaps to maybe

1:22:21have to regulate those things so that

1:22:23not only city departments but then we

1:22:25need a lot more money to fund you and

1:22:27give you [clears throat] more employees

1:22:28but that that is part of the package. Um

1:22:31because I feel that when we talk about

1:22:34safety and health, it is very certain

1:22:37parts of it but not not what is like

1:22:41what is needed for students and teachers

1:22:44to feel safe so they can work and study

1:22:47and thrive. So,

1:22:51>> so to that point, I I think that was

1:22:53articulated when President Blee was up

1:22:55here and she spoke about OSHA coming in,

1:22:57right? And OSHA coming in and deeming

1:22:59the building safe, right? The

1:23:01thresholds, I could say this came up

1:23:03regularly when I was working in the fire

1:23:05department. People would call us to

1:23:06their homes and say, "Is this safe?" And

1:23:08the answer was yes, but it might not be

1:23:11what we want. Right? It meets a bare

1:23:14minimum, right? But that's not

1:23:17necessarily what we want. So to that

1:23:18point, I mean, I think this group

1:23:22especially operates within their statuto

1:23:24bounds and and

1:23:26we hear you.

1:23:28>> So I'll give you an example. We we get

1:23:30this all the time. Um we'll get a phone

1:23:32call. The school's way too hot. Under

1:23:36OSHA, there is no upper limit. There's

1:23:38only a lower limit. 65 degrees. You

1:23:41[clears throat] can make it cold. You

1:23:42can't make it cold, but there is no

1:23:45upper limit. The only thing OSHA says is

1:23:47you need to run additional water

1:23:49pounds. That's what what we go with

1:23:54that's

1:23:56drink water. [laughter]

1:23:58>> So this goes much.

1:24:02So this is where a lot of the laws come

1:24:04into play. Now a lot of the stuff that

1:24:06we find issue with is stain ceiling

1:24:08tiles including air vents and things

1:24:09like that. Well, yeah, we can have them

1:24:11go and replace the ceiling tiles, but

1:24:13you're not addressing the water issue

1:24:14that's above it. So, it's just going to

1:24:16be a cyclical cycle going back over

1:24:19again. It's not going to change until,

1:24:21as the state health department states um

1:24:23in the mold guidelines address the water

1:24:26issue. Okay? There are no mold

1:24:29standards. Um we don't have uh

1:24:32applicable testing and and things like

1:24:33that that fall under the the codes that

1:24:36we enforce and such. It's addressed the

1:24:38water ratio matter. In fact, only up

1:24:40until about a week or so ago, the state

1:24:42finally came out with regulations that

1:24:44say if you're going to hire a mold

1:24:46company for um compensation, for

1:24:49financial compensation, they have to be

1:24:51licensed. Up until a couple weeks ago,

1:24:54that didn't exist. Okay. So, things I

1:24:56think are changing. New laws are coming

1:24:58out, new things are are happening, but

1:25:00we kind of work with what we have.

1:25:04>> Thank you, Mr. Chair.

1:25:07Thank you, Mr. Chair. [laughter]

1:25:10So, um I just have a couple questions.

1:25:12So, this this coalition is relatively

1:25:15new. Um, prior to this, do we have any

1:25:19idea of when this or if this kind of

1:25:21thing was taking place in our school

1:25:23building

1:25:24>> as far as as far as pertains to stuff

1:25:27like um making sure the schools are safe

1:25:29for lockdowns, active shooter drills,

1:25:31making sure locks and doors and windows

1:25:34are are adequate for these drills. Like

1:25:37prior to you guys going through these

1:25:39building and identifying these [snorts]

1:25:42outside of the board of ed, who was

1:25:43doing this on the city level? So Rick

1:25:46Fontana initially did this um a couple

1:25:49of times. I don't have the specifics of

1:25:51how many times, but through that school

1:25:52safety and security, that was where they

1:25:54identified things. And the example that

1:25:56I always bring up is um you know, when

1:26:00responders come, they don't know what a

1:26:03window reflects. So we've added um the

1:26:06the room number to the exterior. So if a

1:26:09student was calling and saying I'm in

1:26:11room 101, you could see where 101 was

1:26:14from the interior or the exterior,

1:26:15right? Things like that were identified.

1:26:17Another thing that comes up and was

1:26:19discussed in that is

1:26:21I'll use Edgewood school, right? If

1:26:23you're a responder, you're not familiar,

1:26:26one of the things that we talk about

1:26:27Edgewood school, if you're a responder,

1:26:30you're going to go to the to Edgewood

1:26:31Avenue, right? Whereas most of the

1:26:34people consider the Yale site library

1:26:37door,

1:26:37>> right? Like so there's things like that

1:26:39around schools that were identified

1:26:41through school safety and security um in

1:26:44the in the original iteration of what

1:26:47that group was designed to do. And it's

1:26:49just as careful snowballing if you want.

1:26:51I

1:26:52>> I think also what came out of it was

1:26:54keys and badge access for um a lot of

1:26:57the first responders to make sure that

1:26:59they don't need somebody to meet them at

1:27:01the door. They can go in themselves and

1:27:04and provide the support that they need

1:27:06to. So, I believe that was prior to my

1:27:08time um as well. But um yes,

1:27:12[clears throat] I got here July of last

1:27:14year and I was tasked with going through

1:27:16all the schools. It took us from July

1:27:19until April um of 26 to get through all

1:27:23of the schools and then we went back and

1:27:25started doing some reinspections. That

1:27:28was just to level set, get

1:27:29[clears throat] an understanding of what

1:27:30every school looked like. Um, and then

1:27:32we we kind of looked at that

1:27:34spreadsheet. Who has the longest list on

1:27:35that spreadsheet? Let's go back and try

1:27:37and look at them. So, that was in the

1:27:40simplest form of how we were trying to

1:27:42get through everything. Um, I I'm not

1:27:45the person to be putting in the work

1:27:47orders. I don't have access to that

1:27:49system. I don't work for the board of

1:27:51ed. Um, so this was the way that we came

1:27:53up with. It was the best to relay our

1:27:56information in one location to the board

1:27:58of ed and then let them handle their

1:28:00triage themselves. That's kind of how

1:28:03that worked. Um, but how often it was

1:28:06happening before this task force kind of

1:28:09was tasked with it, I'm not sure.

1:28:12>> Do we have any records of these kind of

1:28:15inspections? Um, do we know like So,

1:28:18I'll give you an example why I'm asking.

1:28:20I got to Ed to uh Edgewood. I worked at

1:28:22Ed Edward for 18 years. You got me

1:28:23thinking. Um I got to Fair Haven School

1:28:25in 2018. Eddie Cordderero assigned me to

1:28:29check all locks and doors because they

1:28:32were going to do a big security lock. A

1:28:33lot of those doors and locks are still

1:28:35broken or missing and um it's previous

1:28:38to these administrations. So, I just

1:28:40want to know if there's like record of

1:28:42being noted before like where it went

1:28:44and I think one of my colleagues asked

1:28:46this like if the safety and security of

1:28:49our children is paramount like where

1:28:52does the buck stop? If a if a door is

1:28:54broken in a classroom that is going to

1:28:56risk someone's life, god forbid

1:28:58something happened and we've noted it a

1:29:01dozen times and it continuously does not

1:29:04get fixed. Who ends up like who's the

1:29:08ultimate authority on that? like who's

1:29:09gonna say, "Hey, go fix that door

1:29:11because it's not happening and we need

1:29:13to find that solution." That's where I'm

1:29:15concerned.

1:29:16>> Yeah. So,

1:29:18I want an expectation set here, right?

1:29:20So, to Kayla's point, it took from July

1:29:22of last year to April for this task

1:29:25force to get to every school. One of the

1:29:27things that I would bring up in your

1:29:29door example, which very specific to

1:29:32doors, is that Chief Reddish's crew with

1:29:34the school security officers is supposed

1:29:37to be checking doors as well and

1:29:39regularly checking doors, reporting

1:29:40doors. And to the best of my knowledge,

1:29:42I was just at the school safety and

1:29:43security meeting a week ago. Um, Alder

1:29:46Hogan was there and that was one of the

1:29:47topics was going around and making sure

1:29:49that the doors that were identified as

1:29:51being able to be yanked open were

1:29:53addressed, right? That type of thing was

1:29:54being addressed. Um, and it starts with

1:29:57the perimeter and then it works its way

1:29:59in, right? And so I think that's the

1:30:01approach, but I don't want to speak to

1:30:03you.

1:30:03>> Yeah. I mean, I've had I have

1:30:04supplemental areas in my school like the

1:30:06auditorium where the entire exterior

1:30:08door is missing the lock structure since

1:30:112018 and it's been I mean multiple work

1:30:13orders. So just wanted to point that

1:30:15out. Thank you, Mr.

1:30:18>> Thank you, Mr. Chair. Thank you all for

1:30:20coming tonight. I have a quick question

1:30:22that builds on [clears throat] Alder Kim

1:30:23for you, Mr. Winnings. Thank you for all

1:30:26you're doing in the city and with the

1:30:27health department. You mentioned that v

1:30:30um in the public health code, your

1:30:33department, the health department has

1:30:34oversight over cafeterias and pools. I

1:30:37caught that right. So you all inspect

1:30:39the cafeterias and the pools every year.

1:30:42Is the Wilbur Cross pool, which is like

1:30:45half full with water and hasn't been in

1:30:48use for 5 years since I was at Wilber,

1:30:51that pool is passing a health

1:30:52inspection. So it's it's a closed pool.

1:30:55We're not we're going in there showing

1:30:56that it's it's closed. It's not in use

1:31:00at the time. They're still paying not

1:31:01paying for license. They're still paying

1:31:02their license, but it's closed until

1:31:05such time as we can guarantee the code.

1:31:11[laughter]

1:31:12>> Okay,

1:31:13that makes sense. And I guess that's

1:31:15your oversight. Um,

1:31:17I don't know if you'll want to speak to

1:31:18this, but if the health department had

1:31:20more oversight over more parts of the

1:31:22school, do you think that would be

1:31:25effective and help bring the

1:31:27accountability and direction that I

1:31:30think this entire committee is asking

1:31:32for?

1:31:33>> I think a lot of what we're dealing with

1:31:35also falls into kind of partnerships

1:31:37with other departments. So when we find

1:31:40games and night, when we find stained

1:31:42ceiling tiles and other things like

1:31:44that, we're looking to the building

1:31:46department to say what's going on above

1:31:48that. What were we not seeing? So I

1:31:51think it falls not solely under the

1:31:53public health code, but it also falls

1:31:55under the building code. It may fall

1:31:56under the fire code. It may fall under

1:31:58all these different codes that all fall

1:32:00into each other. Like I said, I can

1:32:02correct a ceiling tile that's stained.

1:32:05That's very simple. I can get a guy in

1:32:06there, cut it, put it right in, but the

1:32:09issue is going to come back. So, until

1:32:10we address the water issue that's going

1:32:12on through the leaky roof, it's just

1:32:14going to be a cyclical cycle. So, you

1:32:15keep on going back.

1:32:17>> Thank you. Thank you, Mr. Chair.

1:32:22>> Thank you, Mr. Chair. Um, I just wanted

1:32:24to um ask something to the chair. Noting

1:32:27that there were a number of fire marshal

1:32:29findings marked priority in August 2026.

1:32:32I'd like to ask you the chair if we

1:32:34could get um whatever fire marshall

1:32:36items from August 25 to August 26 remain

1:32:40open by school with the work order

1:32:42numbers. Thank you, Mr. Chair.

1:32:44>> Other committee members

1:32:48Miller.

1:32:52>> Thank you, Mr. chair and thank you to

1:32:54everyone for the information and for the

1:32:55work going school to school. It's

1:32:58tedious but extremely helpful to us. Um

1:33:01I just wanted to back up a little bit

1:33:03and ask very clearly for those who you

1:33:07know you said you've been in seven

1:33:08schools recently. Um would

1:33:11[clears throat] you agree with our

1:33:13assessment from the schools that we've

1:33:15been to that there we have schools in

1:33:17the district that are in completely

1:33:19unacceptable condition?

1:33:24>> Is that for a specific question?

1:33:25>> Well, in general, did you find school

1:33:27conditions that you said this is this is

1:33:28not acceptable for the residents of New

1:33:30Haven for young people to be in

1:33:32buildings that have these conditions?

1:33:36>> I didn't do any of the walkthroughs. I

1:33:38would have to defer to somebody who did

1:33:39only Who knows?

1:33:42>> I I can't I didn't do the walkthrough

1:33:45>> because we've been told that we're

1:33:46crazy. We're imagining things and I just

1:33:48I just would like to know. I mean, if

1:33:51when you walk in a school, do you say,

1:33:52"Oh, this is lovely." Or like, "Whoa,

1:33:54this is this is an issue that we need to

1:33:56fix."

1:33:56>> Yeah. So, I'll answer that without going

1:33:59into the school specifically because I

1:34:01did not walk in any of the schools. I

1:34:03think that it is very fair to say and I

1:34:04think that there is nobody

1:34:07arguing [clears throat] with the fact

1:34:08that there are significant issues that

1:34:10we have with our schools that need to be

1:34:12addressed as soon as feasible and as

1:34:15soon as possible and we are doing our

1:34:17best to prioritize that on our teams and

1:34:20I know we are working very closely with

1:34:22Dr. White, Dr. going to grow to to

1:34:24provide our staff and our time and our

1:34:27energy and whatever else we can to help

1:34:30them to prioritize those issues and get

1:34:32them addressed immediately. And um so

1:34:36the short answer is I don't think

1:34:37anybody is crazy. I think that there are

1:34:40serious issues that need to be

1:34:41addressed.

1:34:42>> Thank you. It's great great to hear

1:34:43that. Um related to that, Mr. Chair. Um,

1:34:49I wanted to ask you you who oversees

1:34:52buildings for the city? Who who who

1:34:54oversees this building? Who over who's

1:34:56has oversight over

1:34:58>> 165 church?

1:34:59>> 165 church the health department are are

1:35:01municipal buildings that are not under

1:35:03the board of education.

1:35:04>> So facilities themselves, city

1:35:06facilities, non board of ed would fall

1:35:07under the CEO's office and through uh

1:35:09the engineering department typically

1:35:11helps us with the facilities management.

1:35:12>> Okay. Okay. So, you know how to run

1:35:13buildings or people under in your unit

1:35:16know how to run?

1:35:16>> I have the right people that know how to

1:35:18run.

1:35:18>> Okay. How should we run what what does

1:35:22it need to look like within the school

1:35:24system for us to run our school

1:35:27buildings properly?

1:35:29>> So, I think it requires a big staff,

1:35:33right? I have multiple people. So, the

1:35:36fire department, for example, has a

1:35:38building maintenance staff. There's 11

1:35:40buildings within the fire department.

1:35:42The PD has basically three buildings.

1:35:45They operate with a a third-party

1:35:47contractor supplemented by our

1:35:48engineering department. Our engineering

1:35:50department helps the fire department

1:35:51staff. Um the libraries have a a

1:35:54building facilities person with multiple

1:35:57buildings under their purview and then

1:36:00seeks assistance from our engineering

1:36:02staff. And then uh parks has their own

1:36:04building staff.

1:36:07It is a massive undertaking. If you were

1:36:09to look on, which I did, right? I I had

1:36:13this conversation recently with some

1:36:14people. I went to Indeed and to LinkedIn

1:36:17to look at building management jobs that

1:36:18are open right now. Most of those jobs

1:36:21are like three to five buildings and

1:36:24we're talking about a portfolio of 40

1:36:26plus buildings. That alone just should

1:36:29demonstrate the amount of sheer

1:36:31expertise that you need. And I think we

1:36:34have a really great set of people at

1:36:36board of ed that work really hard, but I

1:36:38don't know if we have enough money. And

1:36:40I think right now we're in the

1:36:41transition from ADM. I can't speak to

1:36:43any of that. I would refer to my

1:36:45colleagues at board of ed to talk about

1:36:46that, but I think it takes a lot of

1:36:48people.

1:36:50>> Okay. Thank you.

1:36:54So what one thing that we've noted is

1:36:56that there doesn't seem to be actually

1:36:58anybody on the board of ed staff who has

1:37:02expertise in managing multiple

1:37:04facilities

1:37:06which is striking really and and there

1:37:09are lots of school districts all over

1:37:11the country like this is not a unique

1:37:14role like this not a unique area of

1:37:16expertise. So what would be your

1:37:19recommendation? [clears throat]

1:37:21you don't oversee the board of ed but

1:37:22you're this parallel and what what is

1:37:24the recommendation about how they move

1:37:26toward a proper leadership

1:37:30program for this for facilities

1:37:32maintenance as well as the staffing of

1:37:34all the trades underneath.

1:37:36>> Yes. So I think part of that was a

1:37:37meeting today that I unfortunately was

1:37:39book didn't intend but it's building the

1:37:41appropriate organizational structure so

1:37:43that everybody knows who they're

1:37:44actually reporting to and what the

1:37:46pathways to get information up and down

1:37:48right and it's it's that simple to start

1:37:51and understanding the the basically the

1:37:53the inverted tree of of if I have a

1:37:56problem who does it go to and to I

1:37:59believe it was you chair um where does

1:38:02the buck stop right so that you could go

1:38:04and say hey this light bulb wasn't

1:38:06changing whose responsibility change

1:38:08[clears throat]

1:38:09like it's that simplistic.

1:38:10>> Okay, good. Just one followup question

1:38:13which is

1:38:14>> um what is the relationship between your

1:38:18all of your functions and city staff and

1:38:21the board of ed. Is that the right

1:38:22dynamic or should there be a different

1:38:24dynamic so that we do have clearer

1:38:27accountability through some channel um

1:38:30than we have right now? And that may be

1:38:33>> not something you can answer now, but

1:38:34just wondering, you know, what what

1:38:36might be a different structure for this

1:38:38work that would be more effective.

1:38:40>> So I think with the with the staff that

1:38:43we have, the model that we have and the

1:38:45problems that we have, this is the best

1:38:46for the moment. We are actively having

1:38:48meetings to discuss the future looks

1:38:50like.

1:38:51>> Yes sir.

1:38:52>> I think we are having active meetings

1:38:55right now to decide what the future

1:38:56looks like. But in the interim,

1:38:58[clears throat] the task force model has

1:39:00worked in many different areas, whether

1:39:01it's this or issues on top, right? The

1:39:04task force are bringing people together.

1:39:06So that for instance, if Bob Dylan sees

1:39:11something that is really a fire code

1:39:13thing, having the fire marshall there to

1:39:14address it is the best path. It isn't a

1:39:17let me send that email when I get back,

1:39:19>> right? It's everybody's there. They can

1:39:21talk about it. they can see it and and

1:39:24um and hopefully it gets to the right

1:39:27person as quickly as possible.

1:39:28>> That's great. Great to hear. And just

1:39:30one more follow to echo what Alder

1:39:31Melendez said. I think what a lot of us

1:39:33have been looking for is what LCI has

1:39:36now developed which is a dashboard for

1:39:37looking at related issues around the

1:39:39city and how do we pull all this into

1:39:42one place so that we can easily see

1:39:44there's transparency for parent

1:39:45transparency for administrators to see

1:39:47what what what are the issues and what

1:39:49is their status. So, I think as you look

1:39:51to the future, take that recommendation

1:39:53>> [clears throat]

1:39:54>> um seriously. Thank you, Mr. Chair, and

1:39:56thank you all for coming and explaining

1:39:58and doing your best to work within what

1:40:00seems to be a pretty broken system.

1:40:03>> Alder,

1:40:09>> thank you. Um, Mr. Chair, good evening

1:40:12everybody. Thank you'all for coming out.

1:40:13I am not coming to you guys just as an

1:40:16author, but I am also a mother and my

1:40:19kids go to these schools. So, here we

1:40:22are. I've been sitting here for the past

1:40:247 minutes and I hear that the we do this

1:40:27inspection and it goes to this person

1:40:29and that this goes to this person. Um, I

1:40:32know that my colleagues and I, we walked

1:40:35particularly Hill House that was just

1:40:37one of the schools. Um, and we couldn't

1:40:40even breathe.

1:40:42I want that to sit in. We could not

1:40:45breathe while we were just in the Hill

1:40:47House. Um I noticed that Mr. McCarthy,

1:40:51you stated that you just recently did an

1:40:54inspection of one of the schools that

1:40:56you would close it down. But my question

1:40:59is, what is it going to take for us to

1:41:01close the schools down like we did when

1:41:03it was a pandemic and have the kids to

1:41:06be taught at home while we get these

1:41:08schools together because asthma is up,

1:41:11autism is up. So y'all don't feel like

1:41:13this is related with the learning and

1:41:15the environment that the kids are

1:41:16operating in.

1:41:19>> So I can't physically speak to that. We

1:41:22can only operate within our statuto

1:41:23bound lines. Um

1:41:26I would defer I don't know what the

1:41:28requirements are for education from home

1:41:30similar to the pandemic. I don't know

1:41:32what that would all include. I don't

1:41:33know what it would take to for instance

1:41:36I don't know what it would take to close

1:41:37a school and relocate students. That

1:41:39isn't within this group's per purview.

1:41:42So, we have health here. We got you

1:41:44talking about schools. Um, and I I've

1:41:48been sitting here. I have not heard now

1:41:50one clear answer yet from

1:41:55>> So, I guess I have to wait until the

1:41:57board of ed come and I hear the same

1:41:59thing just a bunch of excuses and no

1:42:01solution.

1:42:04Thank you, Madam Chair. Thank you,

1:42:05chair.

1:42:13McCarthy. Um, I guess I'm gonna go back

1:42:16to Alder Miller when she was um asking

1:42:20you the questions about and she was very

1:42:23uh finessing

1:42:25the question, right? I'm going to ask

1:42:26you straight out.

1:42:29>> You don't need a doctor in education or

1:42:32a doctor in philosophy or doctor in

1:42:34anything to run facilities. So I guess

1:42:37what we're doing what we're looking for

1:42:38is you yourself stated that when there

1:42:40are issues you have a great team

1:42:42underneath you which are qualified for

1:42:45the job such as engineer uh Zen um or

1:42:50building director uh Bob Dylan who by

1:42:53the way is great calls me from Florida

1:42:55when he's on vacation. That's what we

1:42:57need right and and my my issues are

1:43:00minimal compared to what the schools in

1:43:04distress are facing.

1:43:06So I guess that what we are looking for

1:43:09and because we are not all HR

1:43:12specialists, right? And um we don't all

1:43:15have departments underneath us. Um what

1:43:18we're looking for is a way to help the

1:43:21board of education

1:43:24make these schools safe for our

1:43:26children. Tell me what you need. Is it

1:43:29money? Is it staff? Is it materials? Do

1:43:33we need the proper person running it?

1:43:36Like what is it that we need in order to

1:43:39make this partnership? Because it's a

1:43:41partnership. It's a lot of people in

1:43:43this room.

1:43:44>> I'm sure that you know people would much

1:43:47rather be somewhere than here listening

1:43:49to us as interesting as we are. Amen.

1:43:52>> But there has to be a way that we have

1:43:55to come together and use these positions

1:43:58to get the most qualified person

1:44:02>> to be able to, you know, get there's a

1:44:06lot of work. It's it's an enormous job.

1:44:08No one by themselves are going to do it.

1:44:10Um, but someone who can see it,

1:44:13understand the work, and knows who to

1:44:15triage it to.

1:44:17It's not my lane. Let me send it to

1:44:19legal. It's not my lane. Perhaps let me

1:44:22call let me have the common sense to

1:44:24call Bob Dylan before it becomes a

1:44:28catastrophe. Huh? This doesn't seem

1:44:30right. Let me call DPH myself. Someone

1:44:33with the initiative or the knowledge to

1:44:35be able to have the initiative to make

1:44:37these calls and have the partnership

1:44:40with you guys so that you guys don't

1:44:43have to perform this task because thank

1:44:45you to each and every one of you. It's,

1:44:48you know, it that you guys were able to

1:44:50come together and do this. You know, I

1:44:53commend you, but with,

1:44:56you know, the staff that we have and all

1:44:58the assistance that we have, it should

1:45:00not be necessary for us to add on to

1:45:03your daily job, the board of education.

1:45:08>> So, I'm going to try to unpack that all

1:45:10there. One of the things

1:45:11>> I was I'm alive.

1:45:12>> She's alive. [laughter]

1:45:14I'm very familiar with

1:45:16you. So I I think what's important to

1:45:21note is that this team has typically

1:45:24done what's in their lane with the board

1:45:26of ed. [snorts] But it is important to

1:45:28understand that the board of ed is a

1:45:30separate entity within the city, right?

1:45:33The board of ed has its own funding.

1:45:35It's got its own money management

1:45:37platforms and systems and and uh

1:45:41requirements. And while certain things

1:45:43do overlap, certain things do not,

1:45:45right? And so I think that's really

1:45:47important. I can't expect for instance

1:45:49Giovan he's in can't take on a board of

1:45:51ed project know and I I just want to be

1:45:54clear and transparent for everybody

1:45:56because he doesn't have that perview. He

1:45:57doesn't have the funding. It doesn't

1:45:59right operate in that zone

1:46:01>> right down to the board of ed right I

1:46:02mean the board of ed uh HR which is a

1:46:04separate entity from our HR. So, I think

1:46:07that there's two parallel tracks and and

1:46:11what we've tried to do over the last 12

1:46:13or so months is is blend them more than

1:46:16they've ever been blended. I mean, in my

1:46:18time, I've been with the city in various

1:46:21capacities for almost eight 19 years.

1:46:25I've never seen this much collaboration

1:46:27between the city side and the board of

1:46:28ed side, right? I mean, we have

1:46:30typically had very different lanes and

1:46:34people have operated in them and the

1:46:36fire marshall shows up once a year and

1:46:38does his inspection and the health

1:46:40department shows up once a year and they

1:46:41do their inspection. But other than

1:46:42that, we we don't see them a lot. I

1:46:44think within the last 12 months, we've

1:46:46really we've really blended the lines

1:46:48and tried to work together holistically

1:46:49as a team to provide our side and our

1:46:53services. I do think to your point all

1:46:57three, right? We do need people. There

1:46:59does need to be money and there does

1:47:01need to be materials, right? There does

1:47:02need to be all of it. And that's

1:47:04something that this team has clearly

1:47:06identified is is it's the right people

1:47:09to do the the right job and make the the

1:47:11right decision. So, I think we're

1:47:14working very hard with our partners at

1:47:16Board of Ed to give them whatever they

1:47:17need um so that we can fix both the

1:47:20immediate and to what I was saying with

1:47:22Alder Miller's question, the long term.

1:47:27>> Thank you.

1:47:29over.

1:47:30>> Uh, I'm gonna take that.

1:47:35>> Thank you, Mr. Chair. Um, you know, with

1:47:38all that has been said, um,

1:47:42ABM was that entity, I thought. I mean,

1:47:46buildings and whoever, you know,

1:47:50teachers filled out uh, work orders, uh,

1:47:53facilitators, students, whomever, they

1:47:55had work orders. we had a system in

1:47:57place. What happened? Are they given a

1:47:59budget to work with? I'm sure that if we

1:48:02ask for a report from uh uh our building

1:48:07inspector, Mr. Dylan, which I look

1:48:09forward to seeing, I'm sure his findings

1:48:11are going to be pretty scary. Um and

1:48:14probably

1:48:16to a point where we might need to shut

1:48:19down schools

1:48:20>> um because it's not right for our kids

1:48:22and our our administr and and teachers

1:48:25and staff to go in unhealthy buildings.

1:48:29That's not a good learning environment.

1:48:31Um, so I'm I'm just really confused

1:48:33because board of alers is a separate

1:48:36entity from New Haven Public School,

1:48:38which has their board of education that

1:48:41gives jurisdictions and they have a

1:48:43finance committee, etc. that is supposed

1:48:45to be doing basically what we do for the

1:48:48city of New Haven. We're not here to

1:48:50babysit them and we shouldn't babysit

1:48:52them, but I feel like that's what we're

1:48:54doing. We're micromanagers now and

1:48:57that's not right. We had a system in

1:48:58place. We have ABM that is there on

1:49:01their way out.

1:49:03Who was supposed to do all that? So,

1:49:06what was that problem?

1:49:09Did they not have enough staff? Did they

1:49:11even have a budget to work with? And if

1:49:14they did, what was that budget? Because

1:49:16we're not privy to that information.

1:49:19Unfortunately, we on the board of all

1:49:21either thumbs up or thumbs down with

1:49:24approving funding.

1:49:26>> That's what we do. We approve funding.

1:49:28we either and and I feel like we we're

1:49:30constantly throwing money at them. And

1:49:33that $78 million that I mentioned

1:49:35earlier, yes, that was in the capital

1:49:37budget um

1:49:40uh for schools maintenance. Um so that's

1:49:44over a 5-year period and keep in mind

1:49:46that there's a two-year capital budget.

1:49:49I just wanted to uh make sure I

1:49:51mentioned that because I know President

1:49:52[clears throat] Blato had asked that

1:49:54question. But yes, so I mean that's over

1:49:57five years, $78 million. What do we do

1:49:59with it? What did ABM do with it?

1:50:01>> They got it in your pockets.

1:50:03>> So,

1:50:03>> uh, thank you, Mr. Chair. Sorry for my

1:50:05passion. I just I just don't get it.

1:50:10>> Thank you.

1:50:12>> Yeah, I don't have

1:50:13>> I just have

1:50:15Can I just go right ahead? So um alth I

1:50:20would just suggest in in the future

1:50:23again as a recommendation I've heard

1:50:25that a lot um I would you know when you

1:50:27when you build your new facilities and

1:50:29how you're going to move forward because

1:50:30we can argue you know till tomorrow

1:50:33where we are today um but I you know I

1:50:35came from the private sector for a very

1:50:37long time

1:50:38>> and when I was in the private sector and

1:50:40I can tell you still goes on you know

1:50:43you know they call them the big jobs you

1:50:44see around they have a quality assurance

1:50:48programs and uh so when you is a QAQC

1:50:51quality assurance so do somebody does

1:50:54the job somebody's actually going back

1:50:56and check and I'm not talking about

1:50:57replacing a ceiling top I'm talking

1:50:59about replacing a chiller you know

1:51:00replacing a boiler doing a roof and then

1:51:03Yale uses commissioning agents so you

1:51:06have a commissioning agent that gives

1:51:07you a 2-in bible and everything that you

1:51:10bought is in place it's not just pay me

1:51:14here's my requisition and I'm not saying

1:51:16that happened but I'm And you know the

1:51:18QAQC program is out there and I'm sure

1:51:21you could you know speak to you and say

1:51:24hey you guys you we're doing it did the

1:51:26Peabody you know we did a commissioning

1:51:28agent. Um we couldn't give them a co

1:51:30until I got the commissioning report and

1:51:32it's not like this it's like piles and

1:51:35it all has signatures and engineer

1:51:37stamps and accountability. So there's no

1:51:40committee [clears throat] put together

1:51:42that says hey what happened to all this?

1:51:44They grabbed their folders and they

1:51:45grabbed their books and they said, "Oh,

1:51:47we can call this guy. He's our

1:51:48commission agent. We paid him." And

1:51:50that's his problem at the end of the

1:51:52day, not yours. And I just thought, you

1:51:54know, as a recommendation, you might

1:51:55want to reach out to some of these

1:51:57partners in the city that we use. I'm

1:51:59not talking about some guy family. I'm

1:52:01talking bigger jobs because you have a

1:52:04lot of schools and it's a big job. So,

1:52:06and and I definitely think the kids

1:52:08especially that came out tonight,

1:52:09they're the best.

1:52:11>> Thank you.

1:52:12So, uh, I want to thank everyone here

1:52:14for what you do, um, for being honest

1:52:17with us today. [clears throat] CEO

1:52:19McCarthy, I suggest you go for a tour

1:52:21with your team. So, the next time you

1:52:23come before us, you can actually say, "I

1:52:24walked through a building and I

1:52:26understand what you all see,

1:52:28photographs, tele, but there's nothing

1:52:31like you may see that one door that's

1:52:33boarded up, but down the hallway, you'll

1:52:34see 15 other things." Mr. Winnick

1:52:37referred to when it gets too hot to

1:52:38drink the water. There's no working

1:52:41water fountains in in schools that are

1:52:43either clean or or safe to drink. So,

1:52:45that's not an option. And we certainly

1:52:47don't want to burden board of education

1:52:48because if they buy bottled water to

1:52:50give away on a hot day, we'll be taking

1:52:52them for that too because we want them

1:52:54to do other things. Uh I'd like you to

1:52:56think about what resources uh you'll get

1:52:58a the committee probably send you

1:53:00another letter saying, "What is the city

1:53:02willing to do to help in this

1:53:03situation?" Give you a month or two to

1:53:05think about it. Uh what resources are

1:53:07available? Um, maybe there's

1:53:08piggybacking of contracts to help. Maybe

1:53:10there's seasonal workers that could be

1:53:12brought on. Maybe there, you know, just

1:53:14to think outside the box. Uh, I I agree

1:53:16with all in Linda. We don't want to put

1:53:17it on the city. But let me put it this

1:53:20way. Every can call anyone at this table

1:53:23right now and get a response. There is

1:53:25no urgency at the board of education. No

1:53:28one calls us back.

1:53:29>> So, I commend all y'all for coming and

1:53:31doing what you do for the city of Thank

1:53:34you.

1:53:35>> Thank you.

1:53:37>> [applause]

1:53:40>> So, uh, the chair is conflicted right

1:53:43now. Um, I would really like to hear

1:53:46from the public, but I also like to hear

1:53:47from the board of ed. I know many people

1:53:49have school tomorrow, teachers and

1:53:51students. Um, so I'm going ask my

1:53:54committee,

1:53:56>> who would you like to hear from next?

1:53:58>> From the kids,

1:53:58>> youngest to oldest [laughter]

1:54:02at two at a time.

1:54:06I will call up two names at a time. Um,

1:54:09you have three minutes each. Uh, we will

1:54:11stay stay strict to the time limit. Um,

1:54:15if I get your name wrong, I'm sorry.

1:54:17Some of your handwriting is a little

1:54:19messy. And the reason why we need to go

1:54:20back to pen. [clears throat]

1:54:22>> Uh, first two, Steve Shrag and Jel

1:54:25Phillips.

1:54:28>> Please, uh, state your name and address

1:54:30for the record. And then, uh, I don't

1:54:33qualify as the youngest.

1:54:34>> That's right. You were first to sign up,

1:54:36so you're getting

1:54:46>> your name and address for the record.

1:54:47Then you may start your test.

1:54:49>> My name is Steve Shrag. I live at 36

1:54:52Buckland Street in Unit 14 in

1:54:54Plansville, Connecticut.

1:54:56Um, I've spent 35 years working for

1:54:59SEIU, the Service Employment

1:55:00International Union, helping our members

1:55:03overcome hazards they face at work.

1:55:05We've represented all kinds of workers,

1:55:07gyroscope workers, silver workers,

1:55:10building service workers, school

1:55:12custodians,

1:55:14sewage treatment workers, every kind of

1:55:15worker you could imagine, we represent.

1:55:18Indoor air quality was was in fact the

1:55:20number one issue that I faced across

1:55:22industries.

1:55:24Um, I know that mold has been a problem

1:55:26and obviously testing is just not

1:55:28enough.

1:55:29You need to get, as you, as you've

1:55:31already heard, you need to get the roofs

1:55:33fixed. You need to find the source of

1:55:35the leak. Believe it or not, they even

1:55:37sell, they even sell special spray paint

1:55:39to spray paint the ceiling tiles. They

1:55:41look like they're new, which doesn't

1:55:43solve the problem.

1:55:46um you need to focus in on the school

1:55:49grant application process for state

1:55:50money because obviously the city needs

1:55:52money. Um the other thing I want to

1:55:55offer up is that there's a section of

1:55:58the law, state law, section 314-40

1:56:02of the general statutes says that every

1:56:04workplace with 25 or more employees

1:56:06should have a health and safety

1:56:07committee. Every workplace with 25 or

1:56:10more employees. I'm sure every school

1:56:12has 25 or more employees.

1:56:15every single one. You need to have a

1:56:18health and safety committee in every

1:56:19workplace because they're the ones that

1:56:21are going to be able to be bird dog

1:56:23whether things are getting fixed or not.

1:56:25That committee we've I work I'm also

1:56:28wear another hat. I'm actually active in

1:56:30the Connecticut Council on Occupational

1:56:31Safety and Health. We're happy to come

1:56:34in and help you create those committees,

1:56:36help you recruit members for those

1:56:38committees, possibly including parents

1:56:40in those committees,

1:56:42choosing co-chairs and creating a

1:56:44leadership team in every school, develop

1:56:46a mission statement, a strategic plan,

1:56:48conducting work site inspections and

1:56:50audits. I'll tell you the when I look

1:56:53back at the work I did for SEIU,

1:56:56the fact whenever I did a workplace

1:56:58inspection, that's where I got most of

1:57:00the change done because you can see the

1:57:02you can see the problem. You're not

1:57:04talking about somebody told me, you're

1:57:05saying I saw the problem.

1:57:10Um, the challenge you're all facing is a

1:57:12challenge we faced for years, but nobody

1:57:15is in charge of deal getting the New

1:57:17York. Everyone points it's not my job.

1:57:21No one's in charge. Back in 1992, I

1:57:23testified before Congress to get a

1:57:26federal indoor air quality standard for

1:57:28OSHA. We didn't get it. We didn't get it

1:57:31when SARS one happened in 2003. We

1:57:34didn't get it when SARS 2 happened most

1:57:36recently.

1:57:38Um, you need you need to have somebody

1:57:42in charge of making sure workers have a

1:57:44safe place to work. And obviously when

1:57:46it comes to schools, not just workers.

1:57:48Okay. Um,

1:57:53as I said, every worker has a right to a

1:57:55workplace free of recognized hazards.

1:57:57They have a right to go home healthy.

1:57:59Every child should have the same thing.

1:58:01You know, we need a lobby as good as the

1:58:03animals have because animal shelters

1:58:05have a standard for minimum temperature

1:58:07and maximum temperature. Animal shelters

1:58:10have a 50°ree minimum and 80°ree

1:58:12maximum. As was mentioned, there is a

1:58:14Connecticut coal statute which says 65

1:58:16is the minimum for public buildings.

1:58:19Not enforced by the Department of Public

1:58:20Health. They don't they don't come out

1:58:22and enforce it. They have the law. They

1:58:24don't enforce it.

1:58:26>> Thank you. [clears throat]

1:58:27>> Thank you very much.

1:58:28>> Thank you for your

1:58:31[applause]

1:58:34Gel Phillips.

1:58:39I guess she's bringing people with her.

1:58:47And then next up will be David August.

1:58:49You can come and join her at the table

1:58:51if you want.

1:58:53>> Your name and address for the record,

1:58:55please. Before you test

1:58:56>> um my name is L. Phillips. I live on 253

1:59:00Street.

1:59:00>> Thank you.

1:59:01>> No problem. It's a pleasure to be here

1:59:03today.

1:59:04>> Let me start.

1:59:07>> First, I want to thank all of you for

1:59:08being here today and being able to

1:59:10listen to me. I want to shed light about

1:59:12the current problems in our facilities.

1:59:13I go to Cooperative Arts and Humanities

1:59:15High School and to be honest, the school

1:59:17is slowly deteriorating in front of our

1:59:18students eyes. Our bathrooms are turning

1:59:20more and more horrible by the second. We

1:59:22are constantly searching for reasons on

1:59:24why this could possibly be happening as

1:59:26day by day the tiles and holes are

1:59:28appearing in our floors and our CLAs.

1:59:31I'm here to keep it 100% real with all

1:59:33of you. Just because I'm standing here

1:59:35as a leader in front, I'm only a vessel

1:59:37for the students that are not here today

1:59:39as they want to speak up and have a

1:59:42change too, but they need someone to

1:59:43speak up. Our learning institutions are

1:59:46becoming grounds that barely have

1:59:47learning materials. In co-op, our air

1:59:49conditioning has not been working for 3

1:59:51years straight.

1:59:52>> Come on.

1:59:52>> And none of our science rooms have gas

1:59:54since when the new building was built.

1:59:56That was around 25 years ago. So, how

1:59:58can we be able to do labs, be able to

2:00:00function in hot classrooms, have better

2:00:02resources if our facilities on the brink

2:00:04of being blown over by the wind? This

2:00:07all ties back down to our funding that

2:00:08each New Haven school gets. Have you

2:00:11like any of you seen like what high

2:00:13school in the community looks like? Be

2:00:14honest. The outside has a completely

2:00:17overgrown wall and that is completely

2:00:19unfair to the students and staff that

2:00:20goes there to have a school that doesn't

2:00:22even look like a school. So,

2:00:25this is why I'm here. As much as we can

2:00:28say that our collective voices, we need

2:00:29more funding and we need this and we

2:00:31need that. We truly do need to see a

2:00:33change and it's gotten to the point of

2:00:36where students are losing hope in

2:00:38authority. They're losing hope in going

2:00:40to school. They're losing hope and

2:00:41wanting to learn and do whatever they

2:00:43need to do because we don't know who our

2:00:45authority is because you guys don't help

2:00:47us. Nobody knows about the board of

2:00:49elders. Nobody knows about the board of

2:00:51education. And nobody knows how to speak

2:00:52up in the correct way. The current

2:00:55photos that I'm going to slide over is

2:00:57what my school currently looks like. You

2:00:58can show that to the public. You can

2:01:00show that to the elders, too.

2:01:08[applause]

2:01:13And I'm currently a junior at co-op. And

2:01:16over the past few years, I've been

2:01:20insanely these students hold me up to a

2:01:22position that I want to be able to speak

2:01:24for them. And I'm glad that I have the

2:01:25opportunity to come here and speak to

2:01:26all of you as you know what our school

2:01:28looks like because you and me, we both

2:01:29go there and it's insanely horrible. And

2:01:32I'm not here to speak for anyone or

2:01:35shove anybody's words in everybody's

2:01:36mouth, but as you guys know, for the

2:01:38past decade, this funding is getting out

2:01:40of control. How are we supposed to be

2:01:42able to have um security detectors and

2:01:45go through the school safely if we don't

2:01:47have the money for it at all? Like you

2:01:48said, one of the bathrooms in my girls

2:01:50bathroom does not have a lock on it.

2:01:52What are we supposed to do about that?

2:01:54What are we supposed to do? If a

2:01:55lockdown happens and a child is stuck in

2:01:57the bathroom, what happens then? And now

2:02:00all of a sudden we lock our doors to

2:02:02make sure that's safe, but that rule

2:02:03should have already been implicated

2:02:05years ago.

2:02:06>> So why are we now just having that

2:02:07start?

2:02:08>> Thank you so much for your testimony.

2:02:10>> No problem. [applause] AFTER

2:02:18[cheering]

2:02:19[applause]

2:02:29this gentle testimony, we have Rebecca

2:02:31Mickelson and Ashley Stockton. Your name

2:02:34and address for the record.

2:02:46Thank you. My name is David. I live at

2:02:48431 RM Street. You won't know me as the

2:02:51disability rights advocate. I

2:02:53[clears throat] specific observations

2:02:54and requests for you. The air quality

2:02:57reports that are on the school systems

2:02:59website from April or May. There are no

2:03:03uh mediation reports. So, as far as we

2:03:05know, those conditions remain as they

2:03:07were. So, I'd like the committee to

2:03:10request mediation reports for them. I'd

2:03:13also like to see the new inspections be

2:03:16available online.

2:03:18No, you're not crazy. We have conditions

2:03:20that can cause fatalities

2:03:23in children [clears throat] who have

2:03:24severe respiratory uh disabilities. They

2:03:28can cause seizures for children with

2:03:30epilepsy. We have distractions that can

2:03:32trigger behavioral disabilities. We have

2:03:35severe problems for this population. I'd

2:03:39also like to request all of the 504 plan

2:03:42data that is not subject to privacy laws

2:03:46so we can see what the school system is

2:03:48doing for students who have disabilities

2:03:51in response to the conditions that have

2:03:53been found. Um, I'd also like this

2:03:56committee to request full Americans with

2:03:59Disabilities Act compliance audits for

2:04:02our schools. I'm hearing about loose

2:04:04floor tiles and bathroom stalls falling

2:04:07on kids. Um, I we don't know that some

2:04:11kids going to grab a [clears throat]

2:04:12grab bar in a bathroom stall and have it

2:04:14pull out of a wall. We we just don't

2:04:17know. Um, and we need audits and most of

2:04:20our schools are building places. So, we

2:04:22really should do a compliance audit. So,

2:04:24I'd like to formally request that. Thank

2:04:27you very much. And thank you for

2:04:28addressing these issues.

2:04:29>> Thank you.

2:04:30>> Thank you, Mr.

2:04:32[applause]

2:04:37Next up is Rebecca Mickelson and Ashley

2:04:39Stockton.

2:04:41Ashley, you feel free to come join her

2:04:42at the table so you can go right into

2:04:44your testimony once she's done.

2:04:47>> Your name and address for the record.

2:04:48>> My name is Rebecca Michaelelsson. I live

2:04:50at 131 French a East Haven. Um I am an

2:04:53art teacher at Dex Early Childhood

2:04:56School and I am reading this statement

2:04:57prepared by a fellow colleague of that

2:04:59school who could not be here tonight.

2:05:02Throughout the 2025 to 2026 school year,

2:05:05it became evident that Dr. Mayo school

2:05:07was facing significant rodent

2:05:09infestation. In addition to staff

2:05:11members occasionally seeing mice running

2:05:13across hallways or classroom floors,

2:05:15teachers arrived each morning to find

2:05:16items that had been chewed, plants

2:05:18destroyed, and most concerning, large

2:05:20amounts of mouse droppings throughout

2:05:21the classrooms. After having the summer

2:05:23off, we returned in August to find this

2:05:25problem unresolved, and the conditions

2:05:27the same. In fact, it was clear that

2:05:30nobody had addressed the problem at all,

2:05:31as some staff members found dead mice in

2:05:33the midst of their belongings upon their

2:05:35return. Our students are 3 to 5 years

2:05:37old and spend much of their day sitting,

2:05:39playing, and sleeping on or close to the

2:05:41floor. Hands, toys, and other loose

2:05:44items found on the floor [clears throat]

2:05:45inevitably end up in their mouths, which

2:05:48presents a serious serious health and

2:05:50safety concern. The district addressed

2:05:52this issue back in April by sending an

2:05:53exterminator to the actively infect

2:05:55infested rooms, but the only remediation

2:05:58permitted was the placement of sticky

2:05:59traps. These traps proved completely

2:06:01useless in addressing the issue. The

2:06:03only thing that stuck to them were piles

2:06:04of droppings. Metal box traps, while

2:06:07present in our building for months,

2:06:08remain empty day after day as well.

2:06:10Janitors came and still do come each

2:06:12morning to sweep up piles of mouse

2:06:13droppings that have gathered overnight.

2:06:16It's truly disgusting and potentially

2:06:17very dangerous environment, particularly

2:06:19in a place where young children gather.

2:06:22Throughout this experience, teachers

2:06:23have put forth their best efforts to rem

2:06:25to remedy the problem themselves. Many

2:06:27have gotten rid of their plants and food

2:06:28items in their classrooms and remove

2:06:30toys or materials that might attract

2:06:32high rodents. As preschool teachers,

2:06:34small toys, small spaces, and learning

2:06:36experiences such as planting are

2:06:38valuable and pertinent component

2:06:40components of our curriculum. We've had

2:06:42to forgo those components in order to

2:06:44minimize the health hazards that rodents

2:06:46present. Unwashable items such as

2:06:48upholstered child furniture and uh and

2:06:51stuffed animals were thrown out.

2:06:53Students are no longer able to keep

2:06:55their napping blankets in the classroom

2:06:56safely. Not only do we no longer have

2:06:58these items, but many teachers now find

2:07:00themselves spending their own money on

2:07:01replacements or substitutes. Among the

2:07:04items that were disposed of were all the

2:07:06rugs, both district purchased and

2:07:08personally purchased, which were thrown

2:07:10out last May. This included each

2:07:12classroom's 8x10 rug, thousands of

2:07:14dollars worth, which had just been

2:07:16purchased for us in the fall of 2023.

2:07:18This eliminated the designated place for

2:07:20students to sit for instruction and they

2:07:23are now sitting on the hard floor

2:07:24throughout their school day. Our school

2:07:26purchased each classroom a set of

2:07:27smaller floor cushions to use on the

2:07:29floor as a substitute. While

2:07:31appreciated, these are far less

2:07:32practical for preschoolers and still

2:07:34cannot be laundered amid the presence of

2:07:36mouse droppings. New Huben Public

2:07:38Schools is facing a dangerous health

2:07:39crisis and allowing this infestation to

2:07:41continue at Dr. Mayo with the cold

2:07:43weather coming. Uh staff members are

2:07:45understandably nervous about how this

2:07:47will continue to affect our classroom

2:07:49and the health and safety of our

2:07:50district's young students. [laughter]

2:07:53>> Timing. Look at that.

2:07:55Go right ahead. Your name and address

2:07:57for the record. Go right.

2:08:00[applause]

2:08:05My name is Ashley Stompton. I live at

2:08:07209 Willow Street. I'm a kindergarten

2:08:09teacher at Truman School.

2:08:12Um, can I start?

2:08:14>> Yes.

2:08:15>> The state licenses early childhood

2:08:18schools and those schools must comply

2:08:20with regulations enforced by the Office

2:08:22of Early Childhood in order to operate.

2:08:24These regulations address a multitude of

2:08:26operational issues, including but not

2:08:29limited to the physical plant,

2:08:31environmental requirements, and outdoor

2:08:33play spaces. I served as the executive

2:08:36director of Llaya Day, an early

2:08:37childhood school in East Rock. And my

2:08:40experience was that an office of early

2:08:41childhood inspector would visit our site

2:08:44unannounced multiple times each school

2:08:47year. They would inspect the school

2:08:49making observations, taking measurements

2:08:51and readings, requesting documentation

2:08:53and records for the better part of of a

2:08:55day. While on site, they would write a

2:08:58report of their findings that included

2:08:59citations for non-compliance with

2:09:01regulations. Some of these citations

2:09:04would be minor, like a first aid kit did

2:09:06not have a compression bandage. Some

2:09:08would be more substantial, like the

2:09:10lighting does not meet the requirement

2:09:12for lumens per square foot. And some

2:09:14would be significant, detection of lead,

2:09:16mold, radon, or other toxins. Once in

2:09:20receipt of the report, the director is

2:09:22required to write a corrective action

2:09:23plan within a limited time window. Your

2:09:26response must explicitly detail how each

2:09:29violation was corrected and the exact

2:09:31date it was fixed rather than stating

2:09:34quote it will be fixed. If the OEC

2:09:37determines that a violation places the

2:09:39health, safety, or welfare of children

2:09:41at immediate risk, they will not wait

2:09:43for a written plan and they may take

2:09:45actions.

2:09:46Programs can be suspended or closed if

2:09:49it is found that the health, safety, and

2:09:50welfare of children require emergency

2:09:53action. The provider has kept breaking

2:09:55the rules, meaning they've shown

2:09:56substantial non-compliance even after

2:09:59inspections or investigations flagged

2:10:01the problems, including not fixing

2:10:03serious violations, and a program can be

2:10:07closed if there's a pattern of not

2:10:08following the regulations regulations.

2:10:11School leaders who assume the

2:10:13responsibility for the safety of

2:10:14children understand this. Either comply

2:10:16with the regs or you lose your license

2:10:18and your ability to operate. I wonder

2:10:20why New Haven public schools did not

2:10:22does not hold itself to comparable

2:10:24health and safety standards. Why are

2:10:26children and workers told to report to

2:10:28physical plants with substantial

2:10:30problems even after that has been

2:10:32reported and remains unfixed? Physical

2:10:34and environmental problems have been

2:10:36brought to the attention of Mayor Elker

2:10:38and the board of education repeatedly,

2:10:40unequivocally, and with specivity since

2:10:43the 2020 COVID pandemic. After assuming

2:10:46responsibility for the American Rescue

2:10:48Plan and ESSER funds, members of the

2:10:50board of education voted to spend $1.2

2:10:52million in renovations for 21 Worcester

2:10:55Place, an office building for non-

2:10:58studententfacing executive management

2:11:00supervisors. We workers who report to

2:11:03actual uh school buildings each day are

2:11:05told funding is an issue. It's all the

2:11:08state's fault. There are no funds. We

2:11:11continue to hide hire executive

2:11:14management and supervisors while we're

2:11:16hearing from the team at the table

2:11:19actually [applause] is facilities

2:11:21managers and the team beneath them.

2:11:23[clears throat]

2:11:24Right, that's my time. Thank you so

2:11:26much.

2:11:27[applause]

2:11:34Call some of our young folks um three at

2:11:36a time here. Brandon Daly, Derek Kerr,

2:11:39and Abdella. I can't see your last name.

2:11:42>> Thank you. Come on up. State your name

2:11:44and address for the record. [applause]

2:11:50>> I see broke glasses for me tonight. All

2:11:52right.

2:11:54Everybody see it.

2:11:57[laughter]

2:11:58>> State your name and address for the

2:11:59record and then you can go right into

2:12:00your testimony.

2:12:01>> My name is Brandon Dailyaly. I am 64th

2:12:04Street in the Connect.

2:12:06>> Say that again please.

2:12:07>> Brandon D. Daily 64 Connecticut.

2:12:10>> What school do you

2:12:11>> Metropolitan Business Academy?

2:12:12>> Go ahead and start your testimony.

2:12:18>> Good evening members of the board. My

2:12:20name is Brandon Dailyaly. I am a student

2:12:23leader at Metropolitan Business Academy,

2:12:25but I'll be speaking in multiple

2:12:26capacities. Tonight I'll be speaking at

2:12:28the lead student leazison for the

2:12:30citywide student council, the president

2:12:32of community youth leadership assembly

2:12:34and then also as a city wise youth

2:12:37coalition leader.

2:12:40I'm here tonight because I'm tired of

2:12:42students being told to accept conditions

2:12:44that adults would never accept in their

2:12:46own workplaces. Let's start with the

2:12:48facts. In 2024, William Public Schools

2:12:51conducted its own facility assessment

2:12:53and found that 10 facilities had poor

2:12:56conditions. 31 in fair conditions,

2:12:57whatever fair conditions are, and only

2:13:00two in good conditions. The district

2:13:02itself set these facilities for our

2:13:04significant investment. And this was

2:13:06from NHPS 20124. Okay, this isn't just

2:13:10over profiles. The city of New Haven's

2:13:13own documents announced that HVAC

2:13:16systems are way beyond their lifespan

2:13:19public schools and has identified health

2:13:21and environmental concerns connected to

2:13:24those same systems. The city has

2:13:26allocated $5.5 [clears throat]

2:13:28million in ARPA funding for even public

2:13:32school [clears throat] capital

2:13:32improvements, including millions

2:13:34specifically for HVAC replacements and

2:13:36upgrades. So when students are saying my

2:13:39classroom is too hot, that is not just

2:13:42complaining.

2:13:43>> That's right.

2:13:44>> The city documents tells us these

2:13:46systems are aging, but yet the problem

2:13:48still continues. In 2025, HPS reported

2:13:52that HVAC systems were at 11 schools. At

2:13:55co-op, teachers and parents are

2:13:57reporting that classrooms are reaching a

2:13:59high of eight in the 80s and low 90s.

2:14:02And now in 2026, we are still having

2:14:04this conversations. The board of

2:14:07education committee visited New Haven

2:14:09public schools this summer and reported

2:14:11seeing or having reported having reports

2:14:14of mold, water damages, leaks,

2:14:17nonfunctioning HVAC systems, rodents,

2:14:20damaged doors, bathroom problems, and

2:14:22other building concerns at Hill House.

2:14:24Just this month, parents and

2:14:26[clears throat] parents official and

2:14:28other people saw missing ceiling tiles,

2:14:31buckets catching water from roof leaks.

2:14:34The district spent approximately

2:14:36[clears throat] 70 grand just patching

2:14:38that roof over the summer while much

2:14:41larger roof replacement projects are

2:14:43being pursued. That should tell us

2:14:45something. Temporary fixes are

2:14:48necessary. Yes, but temporary repairs

2:14:50cannot be long-term solutions

2:14:51[clears throat] for our facility

2:14:52strategies. And I want to be fair. I'm

2:14:55not standing here saying that the

2:14:56district has done nothing. The district

2:14:58has made repairs, has spent money, has

2:15:00bought mold and pursuing replacements.

2:15:03But developing new facility and and

2:15:05develop a new facility master plan. But

2:15:07if we're still finding leaks, mold, and

2:15:09hback failures, and other problems after

2:15:11all of this, then we have to ask

2:15:13ourselves whether we're actually solving

2:15:16the problem or just responding to one

2:15:18emergency at a time. Because students

2:15:21should not have to learn in buildings

2:15:22where they're not whe they're worrying

2:15:24about whether the heat works or whether

2:15:27it's the air is safe or whether it's the

2:15:30ceilings are going to come through or

2:15:32it's going to be leaking in their

2:15:33classrooms or classes going to be moved

2:15:34because of the building failures. This

2:15:36is not about politics. This is basically

2:15:39we were asking for telling students

2:15:42every day that their education pathway

2:15:44is the key to their future and key to

2:15:46our city. But then the least we can do

2:15:48is give them a school that reflects

2:15:50that. The least we [clears throat] can

2:15:51do is reflect that in our community.

2:15:54[applause]

2:15:55>> Thank you for your testimony.

2:15:57>> Thank you so much.

2:15:57>> Name and address for the record, sir.

2:15:59And then you can go right into your

2:16:00test.

2:16:00>> Hey, my name is Derek Kerr and I live at

2:16:02220 Drive.

2:16:04>> School.

2:16:05>> And then I

2:16:07My name is Derek Kerr. I am the vice

2:16:09president of community youth leadership

2:16:11assembly and I'm the class president of

2:16:13my high school.

2:16:15So although I do not attend uh New Haven

2:16:18public school, her experiences are very

2:16:20adjacent and I'm discussing equity and

2:16:23school facilities. According to the

2:16:25Harvard Rat Chan School of Public Health

2:16:27study and consistent research from the

2:16:28National Institutes of Health, the

2:16:30physical and structural state of a

2:16:32schools of a school affects achievement,

2:16:34behavior, and well-being. Crowded

2:16:36spaces, unsafe environments, and

2:16:38crumbling surrounding infrastructure

2:16:39like roads and sidewalks can adversely

2:16:41affect attendance, academic performance,

2:16:43and lead to heightened sense of

2:16:45alienation.

2:16:47It is found that well-maintained schools

2:16:49and facilities foster pride, belonging,

2:16:51and motivation. New Haven leaders need

2:16:53to be held accountable for either

2:16:54incorrect or neglectful allocation of

2:16:56their funds. Many times throughout

2:16:58history, those without explicit or

2:17:00rather tangible political power have had

2:17:02their needs consistently overlooked. I'm

2:17:04sorry. The LGBT plus the LGBTQ plus

2:17:07community, the black community, women,

2:17:09and the immigrants who have arrived in

2:17:11America in 1880s and now. Whether this

2:17:14lack of acknowledgement is over or not,

2:17:16it needs to be addressed and it needs to

2:17:17be addressed now because history itself

2:17:20is not behind us, but it runs

2:17:22tangentally. All that is to say that not

2:17:24every issue that arises has to be

2:17:26motivated by racial biases by our

2:17:28politicians and our leaders. But the

2:17:30behaviors that created the inequalities

2:17:31of the past exhibit many close to the

2:17:34ones that we exhibit today.

2:17:35>> Intersectionality exists and at the

2:17:37heart of education is a very troubling

2:17:39correlation between infranchisement,

2:17:41poverty, crime, and political agency.

2:17:44Schools deserve communities immediate

2:17:46actions and their immediate attention.

2:17:48the sociological footprint of early

2:17:50childhood education and secondary

2:17:52education is that the footprint that it

2:17:56has on early education and secondary

2:17:58education cannot be understated. The

2:18:00takeaways from this are that the

2:18:01condition of our schools facilities are

2:18:03a direct representation about how we

2:18:05value young people's futures and their

2:18:07lives. The fiscal preferences of adults

2:18:09should not dictate whether or not our

2:18:10children can have access to equal

2:18:12opportunities to education. When New

2:18:14Haven students, as the affirmation

2:18:16affforementioned testimonies would

2:18:17suggest, walk into schools with

2:18:19diminishing infrastructure and

2:18:20inadequate resources, they begin to

2:18:22attribute their environment to their

2:18:24identities. It reinforces community

2:18:26distrust. It reinforces aspirations and

2:18:29it can dilute their self-esteem. This

2:18:31can be very harmful to students from

2:18:32marginalized backgrounds. We are

2:18:35essentially asking for more initiative

2:18:36by school leaders to implement safer

2:18:38practices, maintain infrastructure and

2:18:40facilities, and a general sincerity

2:18:42towards the nurturing of our children.

2:18:44And lastly, I'd like to say that I

2:18:46understand the economic limitations that

2:18:48reside in combating community issues and

2:18:50social issues. But from the outside

2:18:51looking in, this looks very much like

2:18:53corruption. And that means that somebody

2:18:54needs to answer to somebody. Thank you.

2:18:59>> [applause]

2:19:02>> for the record

2:19:08and I attend the regional career high

2:19:09school. Um current uh senior student

2:19:13representative for the board, the lead

2:19:14for our program and the lead for our

2:19:17lead program. Um

2:19:21when you go to a restaurant, you don't

2:19:23expect the salad to be hot and the soup

2:19:25to be cold, right?

2:19:27the same exact system that we have been

2:19:30having in our educational system for

2:19:32years. The AC is somehow every single

2:19:35year near December time the AC doesn't

2:19:39work. It's the cold is supposed to be

2:19:41cold. It's cold for some reason. And

2:19:42when it's the summer, well, there's no

2:19:45AC. Every single year just is true. And

2:19:48now with the floodings and all the

2:19:51things that happened, we have a whole

2:19:53ass bucket in the middle of the

2:19:55auditorium where

2:19:58we dubbed the the bucket the leaking

2:20:00bucket new haven system. Why? Well, it

2:20:04hasn't been fixed at all. And yeah, we

2:20:09understand there's always going to be a

2:20:11funding issue every single time. You

2:20:13can't expect the board to do everything

2:20:16right at once. And so we all have to

2:20:19rise together. The community, the kids

2:20:23in there, our students, the elders,

2:20:26every single person all the way up to

2:20:28this day. We have always testified for

2:20:31more income. But how we use that income

2:20:34is what's going on.

2:20:38Because as we have seen so far, majority

2:20:41of our income has been going towards

2:20:44fixing the actual 54 metal building. and

2:20:48some of the administrative offices, but

2:20:50I have not seen our schools getting

2:20:52fixed. The only thing I seen so far, the

2:20:55only thing I've seen so far was the HVAC

2:20:58people coming in to fix outlets when

2:21:00there's clearly a leaking roof that has

2:21:02already fallen down.

2:21:04Just fix a system, please.

2:21:06[clears throat]

2:21:07That's it. All right. Thank you for your

2:21:08testing.

2:21:13>> [applause]

2:21:17>> Next up, we have Tamika Pearson, Toana

2:21:20Galbreth, and Morgan Biden.

2:21:24[applause]

2:21:36those people that I called here.

2:21:40>> Your name and address for the record

2:21:43>> to make comparison to a one star street.

2:21:48>> Go right into your testimony.

2:21:50>> Good evening everyone. It's been a long

2:21:52meeting. I'm here to represent the

2:21:55parent song today and um [clears throat]

2:21:59I first came to the knowledge of what's

2:22:02going on on Facebook.

2:22:04There is a commentary that's going on on

2:22:07Facebook and it doesn't sound good. But

2:22:09I heard the students come up here and

2:22:11speak about the conditions of their

2:22:13schools. And I have a problem with that

2:22:15because guess what? I'm in the house in

2:22:18the city and I pay taxes and I expect my

2:22:22children, which I have five girls, two

2:22:25are still in the school system. I expect

2:22:28them to go to school to get a education

2:22:31in safe working conditions, not

2:22:34conditions that would be non-conducive

2:22:38for their health. So, I have a problem

2:22:40on tonight. I'm wondering where is our

2:22:44mayor? I'm wondering where is our

2:22:46governor. I'm wondering where is our

2:22:49state senators and legislation not at

2:22:52the mayor level but up in heart. Where

2:22:56are they? Cuz they need to hear these

2:22:58testimonies that are coming from these

2:23:00children. They are speaking with their

2:23:03hearts and they are speaking from their

2:23:05souls and we need to be heard as a

2:23:08community on tonight. As a parent, I'm

2:23:11disappointed.

2:23:12I'm disappointed

2:23:14with our board of education. I'm

2:23:18disappointed with whoever was supposed

2:23:20to oversee these problems and fix these

2:23:22problems. I work at a hospital and when

2:23:26we have a leak,

2:23:28I send an email and we get the right

2:23:31people at the right time to fix this

2:23:33problem [clears throat] and to bring

2:23:34solutions. And tonight, I haven't heard

2:23:37solutions. I've heard a lot of

2:23:38complaints. I've heard a lot of this and

2:23:41a lot of that and a calling this person

2:23:44and that person, but what is the

2:23:45solution to the problem? We can walk

2:23:48away from this table, but we still not

2:23:51have a solution. So, we need a solution

2:23:54on tonight. We need to hear from those

2:23:55that are in position that can send the

2:23:57money down. We need to hear from those

2:23:59that are in position that can get the

2:24:01right people out to fix what's wrong

2:24:03with our schools. We need our schools

2:24:06fixed. And I am here as a representation

2:24:09of all parents. Everybody can't make it

2:24:12out tonight, but I just happen to show

2:24:14up because I'm concerned. I care about

2:24:16my community and I care about my

2:24:18children and I care about their children

2:24:19and I care about my school. So on

2:24:22tonight, I'm asking this committee, when

2:24:25we leave this table, let's leave with

2:24:26solutions. When we leave this table,

2:24:28let's leave with the problem solving. It

2:24:32starts right here, right now on tonight.

2:24:35Get on the phone. Call your legislator.

2:24:37Call the government office. It's time

2:24:39for voting and vote right.

2:24:56I'm here tonight because I'm also a

2:25:02excuse me a tenants a tenants um

2:25:06associates president in my complex also

2:25:10I live out in that area also I'm was up

2:25:14recently in um March at [clears throat]

2:25:18the state recogn

2:25:24passed some stuff for SB257. No, no,

2:25:28we're not SB257. The same day um

2:25:33um they were having a celebration of the

2:25:35community, they had got some money from

2:25:38the teachers. So, [snorts] it's coming

2:25:39down. It's coming down. They got this

2:25:42money. It's up there. And also in my

2:25:44community I see there behind us um

2:25:48Robert Robinson and over on other side

2:25:51um I believe it's

2:25:54>> Russ

2:25:55I see that that's good schools because

2:25:58they're on good grounds. I also I've

2:26:00been in my whole life I see other orders

2:26:05here. I see the other ones that's not

2:26:08here. I worked in this kind of situation

2:26:12my whole life

2:26:14from knocking daughter doors. So I see

2:26:18that we live here. We are from here. My

2:26:20family's from here. My home is from this

2:26:22town. And what I want to see, you know,

2:26:25if I see something that's fixed, we

2:26:28don't talk about it or broken

2:26:31situations. And this really deals with

2:26:33right here. Also, I also hear my entire

2:26:36life. I see different thing been changed

2:26:38throughout May or shits like a project

2:26:42choice that was allowed to go on because

2:26:44they had other people coming in to from

2:26:46our our area working here taking their

2:26:49kids back home. That's why they had that

2:26:52project choice here to get people into

2:26:55our districts but now they're not

2:26:56bringing you here because they love here

2:26:58around town stuff don't know about

2:27:00nothing. So ignorance is bliss. It

2:27:02doesn't mean that it's not stuff you

2:27:03going on stuff if it's broken then we

2:27:06fix it amongst our own communities. We

2:27:08start having people encroach upon and

2:27:11make and passing legislation passing the

2:27:13bucks over and over again. If you know

2:27:15something involves your neighbor and

2:27:16they're not here

2:27:19are absent. You call your neighbor

2:27:20checking your neighbor. You see

2:27:22something around in your community is

2:27:23not wrong that's going on. You fix it.

2:27:26So how can our children they go back and

2:27:28forth with these other house

2:27:31while we're living up here? I was

2:27:33different. We have these different asy

2:27:35landlords who's coming into our

2:27:37communities who's having these other

2:27:39people here migrant working here living

2:27:40here and out of here. But the rest slum

2:27:46not doing stuff right. So if you have

2:27:48something, you know something, you come

2:27:50home, you record, you teach your people

2:27:53about how to something change.

2:27:56>> Thank you.

2:27:57>> Thank you.

2:28:04>> Hi, I'm Bon and I'm a freshman

2:28:07politician business academy.

2:28:12Um, I want to bring up the conditions of

2:28:14New Haven schools and how students how

2:28:17students most day every day school

2:28:18works. New Haven schools has documented

2:28:21water damage such as leakages and

2:28:23getting held like leakages getting held

2:28:25in buckets. Students should be able to

2:28:27learn in in like maintenance schools

2:28:30like good schools

2:28:32and for instance at East Rock a science

2:28:35teacher her classroom reached high

2:28:37temperatures and as she stated I have

2:28:39experienced frequent sinus disections

2:28:42this is affecting teachers and students

2:28:44this can affect them by many ways by

2:28:46them not being able to concentrate in

2:28:48New Haven schools [cough] schools

2:28:50[clears throat]

2:28:51should make classrooms comfortable for

2:28:53students to learn and teachers to teach.

2:28:55So as if I'm trying to get across,

2:28:58students should be able to go to schools

2:29:00without worrying of tripping in a puddle

2:29:02of water nor getting sick. Students

2:29:04should be able to show up to school and

2:29:05ready to do their best work.

2:29:08>> Thank you. [applause]

2:29:17>> Next up, we have

2:29:19Carly C.

2:29:21Carly.

2:29:23And uh I have Dorotha, but I don't have

2:29:26a last name.

2:29:30>> I can only assume.

2:29:33>> Well, it just says Dorotha.

2:29:35>> There's no last name.

2:29:36>> Well, how many Dorothas are in the room?

2:29:39It's you. [laughter]

2:29:42Come on up. Give me your name and

2:29:44address for the record.

2:29:45>> Thank you. [laughter]

2:29:49Let me uh let me just start.

2:29:56>> You get to go second. So you get a

2:29:57chance for Go ahead. Your name and

2:29:59address for the record. Start testing.

2:30:01>> Uh my name is Carly Sier

2:30:04Stonegate Circle in Brford. Um I've been

2:30:06a middle school English teacher at

2:30:08Truman for six years. In those six

2:30:10years, I've moved classrooms four times.

2:30:13I've seen much of the third floor and

2:30:14its issues. I've had to deal with

2:30:16roaches.

2:30:20>> I've [clears throat] had to deal with

2:30:20roaches, mice, and ant infestations. In

2:30:23most rooms, the ceilings leak. After a

2:30:25rainstorm, you come in wondering whether

2:30:27this is the one that finally made it

2:30:28collapse. In one room, I came back from

2:30:30a break and found student work destroyed

2:30:32with rust colored water. In that same

2:30:34room, mold grew on bullets and board

2:30:36supplies I purchased with my own money.

2:30:38They had to be thrown away. Black mold

2:30:40grew inside the wall and had to be cut

2:30:42out over the summer, but it came back

2:30:43the following year. Mushrooms grew in

2:30:46the corner and floor tiles peeled up,

2:30:48revealing what looked like soil but was

2:30:50actually just rotted plywood. While each

2:30:52room has had its own issues, the one

2:30:54constant in all my six years has been

2:30:56the suffocating heat. In the fall and

2:30:58spring, the classroom can be anywhere

2:30:59from 80 to 90°. Since coming to work at

2:31:02Truman, I've been diagnosed with a

2:31:04migraine disorder made worse by heat. At

2:31:06one point, I was getting debilitating

2:31:08migraines at least once a week that

2:31:09lasted around two days. One migraine

2:31:12lasted over seven days. It got so bad

2:31:13that my doctor sent me to the ER. The

2:31:15heat was the cause. I have since had to

2:31:18go on medication for the migraines,

2:31:19which is the only reason they're

2:31:20bearable now. But I'm not the only one

2:31:22suffering in my classroom. On hot days,

2:31:24students have trouble keeping their

2:31:26heads up and constantly complain about

2:31:27the heat. If they aren't falling asleep,

2:31:29they're asking to get water every 3

2:31:31minutes. I'm lucky enough to have a

2:31:33working water fountain in my current

2:31:34room, but the room right next to me has

2:31:36brown water coming out of the pipes, and

2:31:38other rooms on the same floor do not

2:31:39have working water fountains.

2:31:42Last spring, I sent at least one student

2:31:44to the nurse every day due to headaches,

2:31:46dizziness, or lethargy. Most would beg

2:31:48the nurse for bags of ice that they

2:31:50could use to cool themselves down. All

2:31:52of these trips to the nurse or to get

2:31:53water take away from their instructional

2:31:55time. To deal with this heat, I have

2:31:57three fans running. As you can imagine,

2:31:59that gets quite loud, and we have to

2:32:01yell to hear each other when all three

2:32:02are on. I also open windows. In every

2:32:05classroom I've had, the windows have had

2:32:06problems. Whether they don't have

2:32:08shades, don't have screens, or just

2:32:09don't open altogether. whether they um

2:32:13sorry I'm please um with this being the

2:32:16case we have to make a choice if I do

2:32:18decide to open the windows with no

2:32:20screens wasps make their way into the

2:32:21room and learning is derailed until I

2:32:23can catch them with some construction

2:32:24paper and a cup if I opt to keep them

2:32:26closed there are no shades to block the

2:32:28sun from beating into the rooms

2:32:31and staff spend the majority of our time

2:32:32learning and living in these spaces the

2:32:35impact of heat rodents leaks and mold

2:32:37affect our well-being as a result our

2:32:40capacity for teaching teaching and

2:32:41learning suffers. Imagine trying to

2:32:42think critically about math or

2:32:44literature when your focus is on the

2:32:46mold in the walls or the mushrooms

2:32:47growing out of your classroom floors. At

2:32:49Truman School, we don't have to imagine

2:32:51such things. They are our reality.

2:32:54>> Thank you. And I believe I have one from

2:32:56Alder Melinda as well. So, I'm going to

2:32:57take a question from Alder Melinda and

2:32:59then a question from Walter Miller.

2:33:03>> Meinda,

2:33:04>> hi. Thank you for coming. You provided

2:33:06us you provided us with a packet of

2:33:08photos. Can you tell me when the date of

2:33:11this photo is?

2:33:12>> I was thinking today.

2:33:13>> This is today.

2:33:15>> And your school again is

2:33:17>> Truman.

2:33:18>> Truman.

2:33:20>> And has this been reported to a work

2:33:22order?

2:33:22>> Yes, that one area. This is a classroom

2:33:25I was in two years ago. I went to today

2:33:27to check on it. That area was cut out

2:33:29because it was covered in mold. It was

2:33:31exposed wires for a couple of months

2:33:33because they cut it out. They replaced

2:33:35it. The mold came back. They fixed it

2:33:38again and now we can see the mold is

2:33:40back again.

2:33:41>> Do you know that if there's a current

2:33:43work order for this so electrical socket

2:33:47that probably could be picked up by a

2:33:51special inspection uh that the fire

2:33:53department just testified as to um this

2:33:58has this been reported to the school

2:34:00system? Do you know?

2:34:01>> I know that the teacher in there now has

2:34:03made admin aware. I'm imagining that

2:34:05they put in a work order because they're

2:34:06>> so so someone has made administration

2:34:08aware aware.

2:34:09>> Yes, they are aware. Okay. Thanks,

2:34:11>> Alder Miller.

2:34:12>> Just as a followup, my question is um

2:34:16what kind of response have you received?

2:34:18I've heard of these issues at Sherman

2:34:20for a long time, so I know they're not

2:34:21new. So, what So, it sounds like issues

2:34:24have been addressed to some extent and

2:34:27then they return. Is that accurate?

2:34:29>> It's a lot of putting band-aids on

2:34:30things that are not fully addressed. Our

2:34:33admin does a really great job at putting

2:34:35in work orders, but those work orders

2:34:36feel like screaming into a void because

2:34:38for years, at least a year, they're

2:34:39never addressed. I've had classrooms

2:34:41where the doors, you can see in there,

2:34:43the doors are missing windows. The kids

2:34:45reach under and open the door when it's

2:34:47locked. Um, I've had my door last year

2:34:49had no lock on it and was just

2:34:51completely broken. My door this year has

2:34:53no key that opens it, so I can't lock

2:34:55it. So, and that will most likely be the

2:34:58case all year, which is what we all

2:35:00expect. So, I know Miss Leto mentioned

2:35:02the the roof being replaced. A lot of

2:35:05our teachers don't believe that that's

2:35:06going to happen for a very long time.

2:35:09>> I just wanted to follow if I may. So,

2:35:11but it also sounds like a lot of the

2:35:13issues you're describing are not related

2:35:14to the roof anyway. Like there's water

2:35:16issues, but there's also

2:35:18>> safety issues with doors like the

2:35:21windows and proper shading of the

2:35:22windows.

2:35:23>> Yeah.

2:35:24>> Like glass on the doors. We had a

2:35:26facilities person come in two years ago

2:35:29to take an inventory of all the shades

2:35:31and screens that were missing and

2:35:32windows that were broken and we never

2:35:34heard anything back after that.

2:35:35>> How long ago was that?

2:35:36>> It was two years ago.

2:35:38>> Okay. I'm really sorry for what you've

2:35:39gone through. I think we all that's we

2:35:42all share that and I I hope we can the

2:35:44elevating it helps to bring some

2:35:46resolutions.

2:35:46>> I appreciate all of your passionate

2:35:48attention to this

2:35:49>> in relation to Steve.

2:35:50>> Yeah, it's my dad. [laughter] Um, I know

2:35:53it's off off topic, but he was my son's

2:35:56uh administrator at Ker High School and

2:35:58probably the most caring administrator

2:35:59my son ever had in school here. So,

2:36:01please give him my best.

2:36:02>> I will. Thank you. Thank you.

2:36:04>> Um, Dorotha [applause]

2:36:07and your last names.

2:36:10>> Um, yeah.

2:36:11>> And your address for the record and then

2:36:12you can start.

2:36:14>> Uh, okay.

2:36:17Um, 57

2:36:20Edge Hill Road. Gotcha. You may start.

2:36:23>> Okay. Um I don't have like a lot to say

2:36:27because I guess I've normalized all

2:36:28these issues just kind of like working

2:36:31around that working around them. I

2:36:34didn't even realize anybody like cared

2:36:35enough to have meetings like this until

2:36:40um which now that I realize it is a big

2:36:43issue that I think a lot of kids that

2:36:46don't realize this is happening do the

2:36:48same thing which is work around them. Uh

2:36:50the other day I was in physics. I went

2:36:53to go use the bathroom and I walked

2:36:55right back out. Someone had vomited in

2:36:57the sink. Um I me I mentioned it to

2:37:02um an administrator in the I mean sorry

2:37:05an administrator in the hallway. They

2:37:07said they do something about it. Um and

2:37:11that's just one of the things I've kind

2:37:13of been like okay you know like it just

2:37:16happens. Um but that's not supposed to

2:37:19just happen. one that's like a health

2:37:21issue. If a kid is doesn't feel that

2:37:24they can go somewhere other than the

2:37:26bathroom sink to vomit, um I feel like

2:37:29that's not not only like a hazard for

2:37:32other people, but it's like a hazard for

2:37:34them. Like the situation in itself was

2:37:37really bad. Um but I think the bathrooms

2:37:40in general uh do not get enough

2:37:43attention. And I think I speak for a lot

2:37:46of people when I say that using the

2:37:47bathroom at school is something I avoid

2:37:49a lot. Um they're moldy, they're dirty,

2:37:53people do not actually take care of

2:37:54anything. Um you walk in there, there

2:37:58will be like toilet paper everywhere

2:38:00like on the floor. Like you don't even

2:38:02like know how it got there. It's either

2:38:04it looks purposeful but like I don't

2:38:07think it's purposeful. I'm not. Um, and

2:38:10then I guess the other thing is when I

2:38:13kind of look up at the ceilings, a lot

2:38:15of them one are gone. Two, a lot of them

2:38:17are moldy. And I

2:38:22don't really like have anything wrong

2:38:24with my breathing, but I've noticed a

2:38:26lot of other people that have issues

2:38:28with it. Um and there are a lot of case

2:38:32studies where uh mold can actually cause

2:38:35very very very harmful and uh deadly

2:38:39diseases in children younger than me.

2:38:43Just children with um not as strong

2:38:45immune systems.

2:38:47Mostly I'm just going off of what I've

2:38:49heard today because I didn't even know

2:38:51all this. But I think we should fix it.

2:38:56And I'm just here to support my friends.

2:38:59Thank you for your question. [applause]

2:39:04>> I got to pass. I actually just joined

2:39:06public school. So, this is like new and

2:39:09exciting for me. I feel like every

2:39:11morning I'm like, "Yes, airport security

2:39:14now." But like cuz like [laughter]

2:39:16normally I'm like not used to that. I'm

2:39:18just like

2:39:20But it's fun. I mean, they do go they do

2:39:22go a little actually that's another

2:39:24thing. I have gotten um I have a

2:39:27prescription medication I carry on with

2:39:29me. And there was one incident where a

2:39:30security guard took it out, opened it,

2:39:32snipped it, shook the bottle, then

2:39:34capped it, asked me for my name, my

2:39:37birthday, who described it, what it was

2:39:40like in holding up the line the whole

2:39:42time. And I just kind of sat there

2:39:44stunned like what are you doing? But I

2:39:47think we also need more security guards

2:39:48because I'm really late to class. I was

2:39:50going to talk about that, too. Now I'm

2:39:51just kind of going off

2:39:5420% of my dip.

2:39:57[applause]

2:40:01>> Next up, Marissa Aizy and Jillian Lynch.

2:40:27your name and address for the record and

2:40:29then you may go right into your

2:40:30testimony.

2:40:31>> Sure. My name is Marissa Yeti and I live

2:40:33Yes, it's okay. My whole life um 40

2:40:36Planefield Avenue in West Haven. Um and

2:40:40I'm a teacher at Morg Sheridan School.

2:40:43Um yes. Yeah. Sorry. Um, I'm the I'm the

2:40:48band director at Muro Sheridan and this

2:40:50is my 20th year teaching. Um, I haven't

2:40:53been very outspoken about my school's

2:40:56building conditions because I've seen

2:40:57how bad the conditions are in the other

2:41:00schools. Um, I worked at Hill House

2:41:02roughly 10 years ago and by comparison,

2:41:05Muro Sheridan looks like Taj Mahal in

2:41:08comparison to Hill House 10 years ago.

2:41:10Never mind right now. Um, the problems

2:41:14are that are in our building though,

2:41:16even though I am in the Taj Mahal, are

2:41:18still not acceptable. It means that I've

2:41:20gotten used to comparing them with

2:41:21something so much worse. For five years,

2:41:24we've had reoccurring mold in the band

2:41:26room and in the instrument closet,

2:41:28including on the instruments. I've

2:41:30reported it every single year, and I've

2:41:32had to uh use donor's shoes to fund

2:41:35instrument cleaning and repairs. Um,

2:41:37we're talking over $10,000 a year every

2:41:40time this happens.

2:41:41um that I'm fundraising for my rich

2:41:43friends. Um for five years, we've had

2:41:45reoccurring mold in the band room in the

2:41:47instrument closet. Now, at this point, I

2:41:50buy silicone p or the silicone gel

2:41:52packets to put inside the cases and I

2:41:54wrap all 180 instruments in plastic in

2:41:57preparation for the summer. That doesn't

2:41:59mean that the problem doesn't exist

2:42:01anymore or that the problem stopped. It

2:42:03means I'm doing more work. It means that

2:42:05I'm doing more work to protect my

2:42:06school's instruments from the mold, to

2:42:08protect my students from having to put

2:42:11that in their mouth or up to their face.

2:42:14Additionally, mold returns to the same

2:42:16classroom corner every single year. In

2:42:18recent years, painters have come in and

2:42:20they've scraped it. They've repainted

2:42:22it, but the moisture continues. And

2:42:24guess what? The mold keeps coming back.

2:42:26This year, the district assessed the

2:42:28area and installed dehumidifiers. While

2:42:30I appreciate that immediate response,

2:42:33um, trying to teach over all these giant

2:42:35industrial machines is a little bit

2:42:37challenging. I have microphones that

2:42:38kind of look like this. I feel like it's

2:42:39my Britney Spears time, but um, it only

2:42:42does so much, too. Um, so they at this

2:42:46point they also I have in the band room

2:42:48there's all these sound panels, their

2:42:49fabric, and they tore down the sound

2:42:52panels to find mold underneath the sound

2:42:55panels. Like a lot of mold just in that

2:42:57one quarters. And my classroom is

2:42:59humongous. Could you imagine what else

2:43:01is growing under these other sound

2:43:02panels that this one corner is not being

2:43:04addressed? Um, so with that being said,

2:43:07they also once they removed the sound

2:43:09panels, then they also removed part of

2:43:11my countertop. Then they also removed a

2:43:13like a built-in cabinet and they found

2:43:15mold under there and behind there. They

2:43:17found mold in the carpeting. Um, this

2:43:20has all been removed and they also

2:43:22removed the drywall, the sheetrock. They

2:43:24remove it's down to the brick and it's

2:43:26down to wires and beams. This was over a

2:43:28week ago and we haven't seen anything

2:43:30anything happening since then. With that

2:43:32being said, I come into school yesterday

2:43:34and I hear pitterpatter. I'm done.

2:43:35>> Finish your thought.

2:43:36>> Okay. I I came into school. I hear

2:43:38pitterpatter. There's rain coming into

2:43:39the classroom yesterday. So, still not

2:43:41fixed. So, thank you.

2:43:43>> Thank you for your testimony. Your name

2:43:44and address for the record, please.

2:43:45>> Jillian Lynch, 147 Austin Ryer Lane in

2:43:48Brford. I'm the general music teacher

2:43:51and union steward at Nathan Hale School.

2:43:54Um, I'm going to speak briefly about our

2:43:56doors. And when I first started to write

2:43:58down what I was going to say, I realized

2:44:00I was going to give information to

2:44:03anyone who wanted to break into the

2:44:05building because there is one exterior

2:44:07door that I know has been reported both

2:44:10by work order and by security that if it

2:44:14is not fully pushed in physically, like

2:44:16slammed, um, you can just pull it open.

2:44:20That's one door. There's at least to my

2:44:23knowledge one other door that cannot

2:44:26lock does not lock. No one possibly the

2:44:29custodian has a key to it, but the

2:44:31teacher that teaches in that room cannot

2:44:33lock it themselves uh in any way if

2:44:35there was to be a lockdown. Uh the third

2:44:38one I just found out about. There is a

2:44:40door to a suite of offices that is used

2:44:43mostly for sped staff. So I believe the

2:44:45SLP is there, a couple special ed

2:44:47teachers and there is a small hallway.

2:44:50That door on the inside has no handle.

2:44:53So if that door gets shut, they are

2:44:56locked in. There is another door that

2:44:58goes to the nurse's suite, assuming that

2:45:00the nurse is in there and not tied up

2:45:04doing something else. Yes, there's

2:45:06another exit, but that's not what you

2:45:07want to do in case of an emergency. You

2:45:09want to know that you can exit the door.

2:45:11So besides HVAC, that's what Nathan Hail

2:45:15is dealing with. And um just hearing the

2:45:18other testimony tonight, I didn't plan

2:45:20to say this, but I'm going to put it on

2:45:22the record while making it completely

2:45:26clear and unequivocally saying that I

2:45:28understand that um correlation is not

2:45:32causation, but hearing [clears throat]

2:45:34some of these things, Nathan Hale, the

2:45:37the half, the old half is from 1924.

2:45:41there. Uh the basement of the old half

2:45:44is where all of our prek, first

2:45:47kindergarten, and one self-contained

2:45:49room is. Since I've been at Nathan Hail

2:45:5114 years, in 14 years, we've had four

2:45:54staff members with breast cancer. They

2:45:56all worked on that floor. So, I'm going

2:45:58to put that on the record. Again,

2:46:00correlation is not causation, but given

2:46:03some of the other testimony I've heard

2:46:04tonight, I think it's worth putting on

2:46:05the record. And I know the

2:46:08air quality check was done in Nathan

2:46:11Hale. I don't know what all the numbers

2:46:12mean. So I'm very curious to find out

2:46:14what that means. Thank you.

2:46:16>> Thank you for your testimony.

2:46:20Next up, I have Pablo Cruz and then

2:46:23Vanessa Ari.

2:46:31>> State your name and address for the

2:46:32record and then you may go right into

2:46:33your testimony.

2:46:34>> My name is Pablo Cruz. I live at 29

2:46:37Avenue.

2:46:38>> I know somebody lives there.

2:46:39>> I go to uh I'm a sophomore at Lacrosse.

2:46:43>> I'm surprised nobody said this yet, but

2:46:45uh we live in the second richest state

2:46:47in the richest country in the history of

2:46:48the world.

2:46:49>> The issue is not that we don't have

2:46:51enough funds, is that we're not

2:46:52allocating them correctly. [snorts] That

2:46:54in New Haven, you know, been proven

2:46:56false that we're going to be able to

2:46:57have this, you know, high quality of

2:46:58education. Instead of investing in my

2:47:00quality of education, the quality of

2:47:02education of others in this room, the

2:47:04city focuses on projects like building a

2:47:06swimming pool at English Station.

2:47:10>> I understand that balancing a budget is

2:47:12hard, but I feel like this is like the

2:47:13baseline. This is the number one thing

2:47:14that we need to get right. In my

2:47:17homework, there are events that are

2:47:18surrounded by black powder that really

2:47:19looks like mold. Uh, this problem is not

2:47:22only my homework, it's really all over

2:47:23the school. Pretty much every student,

2:47:25teacher, administrator, and janitor in

2:47:28the school is breathing in this air.

2:47:30It's just completely unacceptable.

2:47:33We also have multitude of other problems

2:47:34at Wilcross. In the bathrooms, most of

2:47:36the sinks don't work. There are rats and

2:47:38other pests in the building and towels

2:47:40have fallen out. There's much more.

2:47:44How can we expect kids to be successful

2:47:47when we don't when we have so many

2:47:48issues in our public schools? Weros is

2:47:51even far from the worst example of this.

2:47:53I can't speak on this firsthand, but I

2:47:55talked to students from Hill House and

2:47:56uh the issues I mentioned there, they're

2:47:59a lot worse. Um there's also a lot of

2:48:01leaky ceilings and other structural

2:48:03problems at uh Hill House. So, um yeah,

2:48:05that really needs to be addressed. There

2:48:08seems to be a disconnect between uh New

2:48:10Haven politicians and administrators and

2:48:12the New Haven students. While students

2:48:14have a multiple multitude of wants and

2:48:16needs, many of which you've heard now, I

2:48:18don't think that they oftenimes know how

2:48:20to communicate that to adults. I hope

2:48:22alongside other students speaking here

2:48:24tonight, uh, we are able to help you

2:48:26better understand what students want and

2:48:27need in our school buildings. Thank you.

2:48:34[applause]

2:48:36>> Thank you.

2:48:37>> Thank you. Next up, Vanessa Haresi.

2:48:40>> I think she left.

2:48:41>> She left. All right. Then we'll go to

2:48:42Jessica Light and Wesley.

2:48:56I welcome your name and address for the

2:48:58record and then you can go right to your

2:48:59testimony.

2:49:02>> Jessica Light, 1370 Algraso. Um, I'm a

2:49:06teacher and a parent.

2:49:08Before I taught in New Haven, I worked

2:49:11in Oakidge Correctional Facility in

2:49:14Virginia, teaching um young people

2:49:17involved in the correction system. One

2:49:20of the science experiments we did was to

2:49:23use a cheap at-ome mold kit to see what

2:49:27was in the air we were breathing.

2:49:29Honestly, it was a little disappointing.

2:49:32A few colorful things grew, but not

2:49:34much. It wasn't a particularly exciting

2:49:37experiment.

2:49:38Then in 2008, maybe 2009, I did the same

2:49:44experiment with students in New Haven

2:49:46public schools. The difference was

2:49:49shocking.

2:49:50There were so many colors and types of

2:49:53growth that I remember one of my

2:49:56students looking at it and saying, "This

2:49:59is more like an art experiment than a

2:50:02science experiment."

2:50:04We submitted it to the science fair. It

2:50:07wasn't hidden. It wasn't a secret. It

2:50:10was a science project done by children

2:50:12in New Haven public schools almost 20

2:50:16years ago.

2:50:17A work order was submitted. I never

2:50:21heard of followup.

2:50:23So when I hear people talking about the

2:50:25deteriorating

2:50:27conditions of our schools as though we

2:50:30are just discovering this problem, I am

2:50:33confused. How long does a problem have

2:50:36to exist before we decide it's

2:50:38unacceptable? I'm still teaching in New

2:50:41Haven and another generation of children

2:50:44are spending most of their waking hours

2:50:47in buildings where adults continue to

2:50:50debate how much it will cost to provide

2:50:53them with healthy functional

2:50:56environments.

2:50:57Budgets are statements of value. If we

2:51:01value our children, then the places

2:51:03where we expect them to exist in should

2:51:07demonstrate that value. Children should

2:51:09not have to learn in deteriorating

2:51:11buildings while we wait for the

2:51:14conditions to be bad enough, visible

2:51:16enough to finally act. Teachers should

2:51:19not have to document problems for

2:51:21generations.

2:51:23That's because it's already been

2:51:25documented. I still have the pictures of

2:51:28our science fair experiment if you'd

2:51:30like to see it. It is now 2026.

2:51:34How many more generations of New Haven

2:51:37children need to show up, show us that

2:51:40their learning environment is

2:51:41deteriorating before we decide that

2:51:44fixing it is not an option.

2:51:48Um,

2:51:49[clears throat] whatever we find is our

2:51:51priority, we need to make our children

2:51:53our priority.

2:51:58>> [applause]

2:52:01>> What school was that test done in?

2:52:05>> The Davis Street.

2:52:06>> Thank you.

2:52:08>> Your name and address for the record and

2:52:10you can go right into your testimony.

2:52:11>> What

2:52:131370 LT Gra?

2:52:19>> A school environment is supposed to be

2:52:21one of focused learning and safety. All

2:52:24of which are near impossible to get in a

2:52:26building that is actively falling apart.

2:52:30Can one be focused in a room with holes

2:52:32in the walls, floor, and ceiling? Can

2:52:36you expect a student, let alone a

2:52:38person, to learn while surrounded by

2:52:42multitudes of water damaged floors and

2:52:44furniture so bended that it's smiling?

2:52:48And lastly, is it safe to spend 30 hours

2:52:52a week in a building filled with sweat,

2:52:55melted glue, and steam? A building so

2:52:58hot and humid that that it becomes

2:53:02difficult to breathe. This is what it is

2:53:05like in practically any New Haven public

2:53:08school.

2:53:10That kind of environment is unbearable

2:53:13for a day, let alone five days of every

2:53:16week for years. I have not even

2:53:19mentioned everything and I don't want

2:53:21to. I could spend days describing and

2:53:23listing everything wrong with the school

2:53:25environment. And I could go on and on

2:53:29waxing poetic about the surfaces

2:53:33about how the surfaces are infested with

2:53:36layers of chewed gum and god knows what

2:53:38else. All I need to [clears throat] say

2:53:40is that it's awful spending my days in a

2:53:45blasted heath of a school building and

2:53:48it's even more miserable coming back in

2:53:50the morning.

2:53:55Thank you.

2:54:00We have a question here. We have a

2:54:02question here from one of committee

2:54:03members. Alderville.

2:54:04>> Thank you, Mr. Vice Chair. Can you share

2:54:06what school you attend? Edward Mag

2:54:09Edward Magnet School.

2:54:12>> Thank you.

2:54:12>> And I just want to say I'm really sorry

2:54:15for what you experienced at school.

2:54:18>> Thank you for sharing.

2:54:21>> Thank you for sharing. [applause]

2:54:22Also just want to add thank you to all

2:54:25the students who stayed here late. I

2:54:27know you guys have school tomorrow, but

2:54:28this it's so valuable and meaningful for

2:54:31us to hear from you. Um, and you are

2:54:34real lead leaders for the 20,000 of your

2:54:37classmates who are showing up in your

2:54:38building.

2:54:40[applause]

2:54:44>> So, keep showing up. Keep being great

2:54:46all of you guys. Um,

2:54:50you [laughter]

2:54:51>> All right. So, next up is uh Kathleen

2:54:54Lupily and after that we will have

2:54:57Rodney Williams.

2:55:06Just state your name and address for the

2:55:07record and then we'll start testimony.

2:55:10>> Pictures. Um, Kathleen Lley, 252 Rimman

2:55:13Road, North Haven, Connecticut. Uh, I am

2:55:16a teacher in sixth grade at Bishop Wood

2:55:19School, which I want to preface one of

2:55:21the newer schools, less than 20 years

2:55:24old. Those are all pictures from my

2:55:26classroom. Um, ironically, all from

2:55:30August of this year until this week. Um,

2:55:33while those are actually identical to

2:55:36what that has looked like in my

2:55:38classroom since I started in 2022, which

2:55:41is no ceiling tiles as soon as you walk

2:55:44into my room, four or five buckets

2:55:46underneath the exposed HVAC duck work

2:55:50that has clear mold and mildew on it,

2:55:54and kids walking in daily saying, "What

2:55:57is that smell?" which you can tell is

2:55:59the standing water that is constantly

2:56:02sitting underneath it. Again, one of the

2:56:04newer schools. Um I in the five years

2:56:08that I've been at this school, every

2:56:11month, every other month, an HVAC

2:56:14technician walks into the room, they

2:56:15look up at my ceiling, they go onto the

2:56:17roof, I never see them again. Somebody

2:56:20new comes in the next month. Same thing.

2:56:23It's a revolving door. I've yet to see

2:56:26anything

2:56:28be done as far as a difference and some

2:56:32of those pictures are now the only

2:56:34difference is now that it's rained in

2:56:36the past couple weeks I've come into my

2:56:38room with uh flooding. So now I have a

2:56:42whole new problem. Uh originally it was

2:56:45said that the HVAC duck work was just uh

2:56:48leaking condensate

2:56:50and that only would happen when the AC

2:56:53was working which frequently it does not

2:56:57on my side of the floor. I also happen

2:56:59to be married to an HVAC technician who

2:57:01has walked in and looked up and said,

2:57:03"Yeah, not your problem, but hey, we

2:57:06don't need to go there." Um, but aside

2:57:10from even just the leaking water, the

2:57:13mold that you can clearly see, the HVAC

2:57:16has on and off not worked in the 5 years

2:57:18that I've been there. And in those 5

2:57:21years, I don't think that

2:57:24it's any correlation, or I would hope it

2:57:27wouldn't be, but I've gone through two

2:57:30pregnancies in that heat. My room has

2:57:32reached about 90° during both of them.

2:57:35And even most recently, the first week

2:57:38of school, I had two kids go home. On

2:57:41the second day, they just started

2:57:43throwing up out of nowhere. And then

2:57:45they had to leave and go home. And at

2:57:48the same time, that same exact week, I

2:57:51also had a miscarriage, which was the

2:57:55week before completely normal pregnancy.

2:57:59So, it dawned on me that me being in a

2:58:02room where I was told that I needed to

2:58:03keep my door locked, there's no airflow,

2:58:07it's now reaching a temperature of 90°.

2:58:09The humidity is disgusting.

2:58:12I think it leads you to believe what is

2:58:16actually going on there and I

2:58:18[clears throat] feel bad for the kids.

2:58:19>> Thank you.

2:58:20>> So,

2:58:22any question?

2:58:24>> Thank you for your testimony. We're

2:58:25really excited for what you've

2:58:26experience [clears throat]

2:58:31of time. We're here to try to get to the

2:58:33bottom of it and see what we can do.

2:58:34>> And I appreciate everybody that came in

2:58:35tonight.

2:58:36>> Just a note also to some of you that

2:58:38signed in early. We moved a lot of the

2:58:40students up to the front of the list so

2:58:41they can get out of here early because

2:58:43they have school tomorrow. That's why

2:58:46>> and though some of them are still here

2:58:51[laughter]

2:58:53>> thank you for your testimony your name

2:58:55and address for the record.

2:58:56>> My name is Ryan Williams. I live 16 Pat

2:58:58North Connecticut but I've been a

2:59:00lifelong resident of the Dixville area.

2:59:03Um I was one of the parents that

2:59:05actually um walk with the Hill House um

2:59:07tour. Um, and I will tell you this, uh,

2:59:10when I stood there and they said that

2:59:11they felt like the school was saved, um,

2:59:13it was kind of disrespectful for them to

2:59:15say that, um, I appreciate,

2:59:19>> [clears throat]

2:59:19>> um,

2:59:21being on the side with you guys cuz it

2:59:23seemed like, um, your lenses is your

2:59:25truth and I and I I but their lenses

2:59:29aren't your lenses. Um, I saw their

2:59:31their their team come up here, you ask

2:59:33them questions, um, they blocking the

2:59:35phone.

2:59:38Like that's what they doing. They

2:59:40blocking phone. Um, um, I I used to

2:59:43handle all the harps properties when we

2:59:45had most issues, you know what I mean?

2:59:46That was major. That was like, you know,

2:59:4924 hours you need to fix it, you know,

2:59:51and and there's nothing. Um, for us to

2:59:55walk in that school and see all the mold

2:59:57we saw, see the ceiling towels. Um,

2:59:59that's not good leadership because I'm

3:00:01saying to me, I would have said somebody

3:00:038:00 in the morning, we coming through

3:00:05later on, walk through here, change some

3:00:06tiles, do something. They didn't do

3:00:08anything. And, um, I I would say this,

3:00:10they're the educators. Um, they're not

3:00:12people who mans. Um, they don't have a

3:00:15plan. Um,

3:00:18and I would say on the record before

3:00:21anybody give anybody any extra money,

3:00:23um, you need to see a plan because

3:00:25obviously, um, this money is for years.

3:00:30I see older olders that have been up

3:00:32here for years. I see newers. I see sons

3:00:35of fathers that was your father's up.

3:00:37Your father put me on the school

3:00:38construction committee. So, you know,

3:00:40this problem didn't just now start. It's

3:00:43been around for a long time. And it's

3:00:45about them mismanaging um the funds and

3:00:49not having a plan on

3:00:53fixing the schools. They're educators.

3:00:55So if you think that an educator going

3:00:57to come to you and tell you how they

3:00:59going to solve that, they're not. They

3:01:01can't. That's not what their feel is.

3:01:03And what they need to do is they need to

3:01:05hire somebody to go through these

3:01:06schools and monitor them on a daily

3:01:08basis, update everything, put it on so

3:01:11you can see all the schools, what what

3:01:13what need to be fixed, what's being

3:01:14fixed, um like real time. And and when

3:01:17they come to you and say that, then I

3:01:20can see you give the money. But until

3:01:21they can tell you that, um they always

3:01:25don't want to tell you where the money.

3:01:28And these kids,

3:01:31I appreciate coming in here and knowing

3:01:34that to me,

3:01:36I see our future.

3:01:39Our future,

3:01:43they should have been speaking before

3:01:45anybody spoke. They wanted

3:01:47[cough and clears throat] to be on the

3:01:48news

3:01:50because what they talked about, man,

3:01:52that that that was I don't know the last

3:01:54time I've been bought all the meat and

3:01:56heard kids speak like that. But the

3:01:59truth is our lenses are the same,

3:02:02[clears throat] but I don't feel

3:02:06[applause]

3:02:10my next [applause]

3:02:12your name and address for the record and

3:02:13you can start. Danny Victorian Huge and

3:02:15I live at 13 Court Street. Good evening.

3:02:19>> What school?

3:02:20>> Wilcross High School.

3:02:22>> Thank you.

3:02:23>> Good evening, Chair Hogan and members of

3:02:25the education committee. I am Danny

3:02:27McTurnney Cuge, the junior student

3:02:29representative on the board of

3:02:30education. I am here to testify about

3:02:33the condition of our school's

3:02:34facilities. While this has always been

3:02:36an important issue, it is especially

3:02:38relevant and necessary to talk about now

3:02:40given that the board of elders has

3:02:42called for a citywide health and safety

3:02:44inspection of all New Haven public

3:02:46schools. As a student at Wilbercross

3:02:48High School, the largest high school in

3:02:50New Haven and the representative of all

3:02:52students in the city, I would like to

3:02:54share with you some of my experiences as

3:02:56a New Haven public school student. This

3:02:58morning after my first period class, I

3:03:01went to use the bathroom, but both of

3:03:03the single stall bathrooms closest on

3:03:05the second floor to my home room were

3:03:06being used. So, I went up to the third

3:03:08floor. There, I found that one of the

3:03:11bathrooms was open, but didn't have a

3:03:13lock. Because of the condition, I

3:03:15decided to leave and wait for the

3:03:17multi-stall bathrooms to open. Before

3:03:19leaving, I wanted to wash my hands, but

3:03:20found that there was no soap in the soap

3:03:22dispenser. Not only was this bathroom

3:03:25out of the way, but also did not have a

3:03:27working lock or soap. This is just one

3:03:30of the problems with our bathrooms. The

3:03:32other aspect is the multiple stall

3:03:34bathrooms. Since they are only open at

3:03:36certain times of the day, they're locked

3:03:38most of the day. It's very hard to find

3:03:40a good working bathroom at all times in

3:03:41school. However, when they are open, the

3:03:44sinks hardly work, and there are usually

3:03:46no paper towels or soap. When you walk

3:03:48into Cross and go to the girls bathroom

3:03:50right by the entrance, you will find a

3:03:52decaying ceiling with missing tiles and

3:03:54a trash can under it collecting water

3:03:56from a leak. I have talked to other

3:03:58students at Wil Cross and they have said

3:04:00that both of the locker rooms are in bad

3:04:02condition and the girls locker room also

3:04:04has a leak in the ceiling like the

3:04:05bathroom on the first floor. This is not

3:04:08acceptable. I understand that New Haven

3:04:10does not have all of the funds to

3:04:11magically fix these issues overnight,

3:04:13but the conditions of our schools are

3:04:15not okay and have a clear effect on

3:04:18students learning. I should not be late

3:04:20to class because I'm trying to find an

3:04:22open bathroom that has soap and paper

3:04:24towels and locks. Students choosing

3:04:26between human needs, right to privacy,

3:04:29and class time creates an unsafe and

3:04:31negative environment. We need to

3:04:32allocate more funding to our schools.

3:04:34Thank you for your time. [applause]

3:04:37>> Thank you. Your name and address for the

3:04:39letter to

3:04:41>> My name is Sarah Bavia and my address is

3:04:4322 Street.

3:04:45>> What school do you go to?

3:04:46>> Uh I go to James Hollis High School.

3:04:49>> So I'm currently a sophomore enrolled at

3:04:51Hollis High School and I come up here to

3:04:53speak about a few issues me and many

3:04:55others have experienced during their

3:04:56time at public schools recently. For

3:04:59time's sake, I'll only be talking about

3:05:00the three I feel are most urgent because

3:05:02as we all know, there are many more

3:05:04issues in that. So the number one most

3:05:07important thing is the issues with

3:05:09ceiling leakage. Um this is not just

3:05:13like a issue that comes with like

3:05:16moisture going down and into the trash

3:05:18cans and it makes it difficult for

3:05:20students to navigate across hallways.

3:05:22It's an issue of mold. When the moisture

3:05:24builds up inside the ceiling, mold grows

3:05:28and students are breathing in that air

3:05:30eight hours a day. Um, and this is not

3:05:33something that causes issues

3:05:34immediately. This is something that

3:05:36causes longterm health problems that

3:05:38don't show up until later on in life.

3:05:41Um, and the second thing is rat

3:05:43infestation. Um, this has been going on

3:05:47for a while. Uh, especially in Hill

3:05:49House, rats and mice have been spotted

3:05:52in classrooms. And actually, speaking on

3:05:54this issue, this morning I saw a mouse

3:05:58in the main hallway. Um, it was a tiny

3:06:01one, thank goodness, because if it was

3:06:02anything bigger than that, I would have

3:06:05immediately left the school. Um, but

3:06:08ironically, three minutes before I

3:06:10walked into that main hallway, one of my

3:06:12teachers had told me that he had spotted

3:06:14a large rat in his room the day before.

3:06:17So, it's truly warm, welcoming. Um, I

3:06:21think that Hill House should actually

3:06:22change their school mascot from the

3:06:24bulldog to the rat because it is this

3:06:28that bad. Um, and we have no idea. This

3:06:31is happening at daytime. So, where are

3:06:34these rats going at night? Are they in

3:06:37the cafeteria infecting the utensils

3:06:40that are being used to give us food?

3:06:42Because if that's true, this is going to

3:06:44raise a ton of health concerns, and it

3:06:46should raise a ton of health concerns.

3:06:47The health department needs to

3:06:49investigate this immediately. This

3:06:51cannot be safe for current students. And

3:06:54I mean, speaking of cafeteria and the

3:06:56food that they serve there, it I don't

3:06:58even think it's FDA approved. Um,

3:07:01also the HVAC issues. Problems with HVAC

3:07:05have caused some classes to be extremely

3:07:07cold, practically forcing teachers to

3:07:09spend their own money on heaters since

3:07:12workers are so backed up. This is not

3:07:14just a Hill House problem. This is like

3:07:16multiple schools are experiencing this.

3:07:19Last year actually I heard from a

3:07:20student that people were passing out at

3:07:23Amastad in the summer and there were due

3:07:25to be no AC.

3:07:27So in my opinion this can all be tied

3:07:29back to New Haven public schools lack of

3:07:31funding but also years of neglect to

3:07:34these issues that we see in our schools.

3:07:36This is not something that just occurs

3:07:38in a couple months or a year. This is

3:07:40something that's been going on and

3:07:41brewing for multiple years. And to back

3:07:44this claim up, a 2025 report to the New

3:07:46Haven Board of Education found that our

3:07:48school district spends just $1.70 per

3:07:50square foot on building maintenance,

3:07:52which is roughly half the recommended

3:07:54standard and about half of what suburban

3:07:56Connecticut districts spend.

3:07:58>> And in addition to that,

3:07:59>> your thought

3:08:01um in addition to that, the state is now

3:08:03conducting a $400 million Union Station

3:08:05renovation. Meanwhile, our schools look

3:08:07like the average New York City subway.

3:08:10Thank you. Thank you for your testimony.

3:08:12[applause]

3:08:13My name is

3:08:17How's everybody doing? My name is Lester

3:08:19Mccle. I live in 1423 Cornak AB. I'm a

3:08:22senior at Metro Bond Business Academy.

3:08:25I'd like to get straight to the point. I

3:08:26want to speak about the conditions of

3:08:28our school facilities and the need for

3:08:30accountability and transport

3:08:31transparency regards the money in

3:08:34invested in our schools. A facility

3:08:36assignment found that many New England

3:08:38schools building need significant

3:08:40repairs and improvement. Only a small

3:08:42number were considered to be good in

3:08:44good condition while others were rated

3:08:46fair fair or poor. These condition

3:08:49affect students daily live lives and our

3:08:52ability to learn. Problems such as

3:08:53outdated heating and cooling system,

3:08:55poor ventilation, leaks, damaged

3:08:57ceilings, broken bathrooms, unreliable

3:09:00plumbing, mold concerns, overcrowded

3:09:02spaces and again electrical systems can

3:09:06make schools uncomfortable, unsafe and

3:09:08different places to learn. When these

3:09:10problem are not addressed addressed they

3:09:12can disrup disrupt instruction affect

3:09:15attendance and make students feel like

3:09:17their learning environment is not a

3:09:19priority. Teachers and staff also have a

3:09:22have to walk around these conditions

3:09:24instead of focused on fully educated

3:09:26students. Students should not have to

3:09:29accept leak roofs, broken bathrooms or

3:09:31poor air qualities or dehydration

3:09:34facilities as normal.

3:09:36At the same time, the city of New Haven

3:09:38committee committed 15 million in the

3:09:41fiscal year 2025 to 2026 capital budget

3:09:45for school buildings and facility

3:09:48improvements. Students and family

3:09:50deserve to know what results we are

3:09:52getting from this investment. I am not

3:09:54claiming that money is being wasted

3:09:56without evidence. I am asking for

3:09:58transparency. Where is the facility

3:10:00funding being spent? Which schools and

3:10:02repairs are being prioritized? How are

3:10:04these decisions made? What projects have

3:10:07been completed? And what is the timeline

3:10:09for schools that still need significant

3:10:11work? The district should provide

3:10:13regular updates about delayed projects,

3:10:16emergency repairs, safety concerns, and

3:10:19major systems such as heating, cooling,

3:10:21ventilation, plumbing, and electrical

3:10:23equipment. The community should not have

3:10:25to wait for crisis or rely on rumors to

3:10:28learn about serious facility problems.

3:10:30If a school is identified as being in

3:10:32poor condition, families should know

3:10:34what repairs your plan and who is

3:10:36responsible for completing them and when

3:10:38the work is exactly expected to finish.

3:10:41Funding is important, but so is making

3:10:43sure the community understands how the

3:10:45funding is being used and what results

3:10:47is being produced. Students and teachers

3:10:50spend a major part of their lives inside

3:10:53these buildings and we deserve safe

3:10:56function functional properly maintained

3:10:59schools along with transparency about

3:11:01the investments being made to provide

3:11:03them. Thank you.

3:11:05>> Thank you. [applause]

3:11:09>> Next we'll have Ma Phillips followed by

3:11:11Nija E Waters.

3:11:29Hi, my name is Mara Phillips. I live at

3:11:31178 Ellsworth Avenue.

3:11:34>> Um, I'm also a W 24 co-chair, uh,

3:11:38committee member of New Haven Rising,

3:11:40and a parent to a child in New Haven

3:11:41public schools. Um, so it's clear from a

3:11:45lot of this testimony that our children,

3:11:47teachers, per professionals, and other

3:11:49school professionals deserve better. The

3:11:51state of our school buildings is

3:11:53abysmal. Instructors are underpaid.

3:11:55Special needs classrooms are swelling to

3:11:58unmanageable levels, and children don't

3:12:00have the resources they need to thrive.

3:12:02Uh, my kid school, which we love, it's a

3:12:05great school, but it does have to close

3:12:06in the heat. We don't have a librarian.

3:12:09Um, it's almost unfathomable that I

3:12:12could grow up going to public schools

3:12:14myself and have such a different

3:12:15experience from these children. I grew

3:12:18up just miles from Harvard, West

3:12:20Harvard, so suburb. My town and my

3:12:22family never had to think about these

3:12:23things. Our schools had college prep

3:12:26after school enrichment, small class

3:12:28sizes. Our city didn't have to choose

3:12:30between paying firefighters and paying

3:12:33school teachers. Um, better conditions

3:12:35for students require resources and truly

3:12:38addressing decades of segregation and

3:12:40racial inequality requires resources.

3:12:43But New Haven is stuck in a vicious

3:12:45cycle of underfunding cuts and tax

3:12:47increases and austerity artificially

3:12:50imposed on us by the Yale Corporation,

3:12:52which means we can't even cobble

3:12:54together a basic budget, let alone

3:12:56tackle systemic issues. When so much of

3:12:59our taxable land is taken up by these

3:13:01wealthy quote unquote nonprofit

3:13:03institutions, we are forced to sell more

3:13:05of that land cheaply just to keep the

3:13:07lights on and the cycle continues. Just

3:13:10this year, a student leader asked

3:13:11President McInness to tour our schools

3:13:13to see how New Haven kids are denied

3:13:15opportunities. She has not taken him up

3:13:18on that offer, but she has hosted a

3:13:19private meeting with Trump's education

3:13:21secretary, Linda McMahon.

3:13:24Leaders leaders at Yale must engage and

3:13:26invest in our community. This is about

3:13:28basic fairness and being able to provide

3:13:30basic services and opportunities, things

3:13:32that our suburban counterparts never

3:13:34have to think twice about. New Haven

3:13:36isn't asking Yale to solve its problems.

3:13:38We're only asking for what rightly

3:13:40belongs to us so we can solve our own

3:13:43problems. We are asking to stop

3:13:45subsidizing some of the richest

3:13:47institutions in the world and to stop

3:13:49reinforcing segregation and racial

3:13:51inequality by locking black and brown

3:13:53communities out of equal education. An

3:13:56address should not determine an

3:13:57education. Thank you. [clears throat]

3:14:00>> Thank you for your testimony. [applause]

3:14:03Your name is addressed for the record

3:14:05and then you may go right into your

3:14:06testimony.

3:14:06>> My name is Nija E Waters and event 517

3:14:10from Wall Street Hampton. My testimony

3:14:12may sound like I'm going left. Listen

3:14:15carefully and I will tie it together. It

3:14:17is time for the collective to accept

3:14:19accountability for the conditions in our

3:14:22schools and the lack of education of our

3:14:24children. We are perishing for the lack

3:14:26of knowledge. I do not say that lightly.

3:14:28I say it because I have looked into the

3:14:30eyes of our children and seen the cost.

3:14:33I'm an education advocate and a parent

3:14:35of a junior at New Haven Academy. I have

3:14:38come to many of you door after door,

3:14:40meeting after meeting, asking each

3:14:42person to recognize their

3:14:44responsibilities to our children. What I

3:14:47received was silence or those painful

3:14:49words. Miss Waters, we know it's a

3:14:51process. Tell me, what process tells a

3:14:55mother her child will be fine while

3:14:57plaster falls from the classroom

3:14:59ceiling? What process asks a teacher to

3:15:02keep pouring from an empty cup while she

3:15:04remains underpaid and unseen? What

3:15:07process can look at 31-year-old outdated

3:15:11policies at only 33 out of 88 policies

3:15:14that are supposed to be published on the

3:15:16in NHPS website with some of them mere K

3:15:21model samples and call that justice.

3:15:24Laws have changed but our district is

3:15:27still stuck in 1995. The world moved

3:15:30forward. Our children were left behind.

3:15:33Had policy been updated, understood, and

3:15:36implemented, we would not be standing

3:15:38here under these conditions, these

3:15:40circumstances. We could not be standing

3:15:42in broken buildings. We will not be

3:15:45breathing in infested buildings. We will

3:15:47not be watching gifted teachers break

3:15:50under a weight that were never meant to

3:15:52carry alone. Our babies are telling us

3:15:55their bathrooms look like a jail cell.

3:15:58Cold, hard, inhumane. No child should

3:16:01ever have to say these words about a

3:16:03place meant for learning. I have heard

3:16:05our students with my own ears. Babies

3:16:08graduating and confessing they cannot

3:16:10read. Picture it. The cap, the gown, the

3:16:13smile for the photographer, and the

3:16:16quiet shame of holding a diploma they

3:16:18cannot read. That should shatter every

3:16:20heart in this room. I do not speak as a

3:16:22stranger to this pain. I speak as a

3:16:24mother who sends her baby into these

3:16:27halls every morning and prays he returns

3:16:30with a whole returns whole in mind,

3:16:33body, and spirit. This is not a process.

3:16:35This is a wound. The law names who must

3:16:38help heal it. The law speaks directly to

3:16:41our buildings under Connecticut General

3:16:43Statute section 1022.

3:16:46The board should have the care,

3:16:48maintenance, and operation of buildings,

3:16:49lands, and other property used for

3:16:51school purposes. It should provide an

3:16:54appropriate learning environment that

3:16:55includes proper maintenance of

3:16:57facilities and a safe school setting. It

3:17:00shall make continuing study of the need

3:17:02for school facilities and recommend a

3:17:04long-term school building program to the

3:17:06town. Broken bathroom, crumbling walls,

3:17:09and unsafe air are not just a shame.

3:17:12They're just violation of that duty.

3:17:14>> That's your time. Thank you for your

3:17:16testimony. [applause]

3:17:20>> Next up, we have Justin Palmer.

3:17:26>> [clears throat]

3:17:26>> Justin Farmer

3:17:31uh last then we have Jennifer Graves and

3:17:34after that Ann Watkins

3:17:40left

3:17:44>> no we're gonna we have one left at the

3:17:45end

3:17:50Sorry.

3:17:55>> We know how to share on this committee.

3:17:59>> Great.

3:17:59>> Thank you so much. Of

3:18:00>> course. Good evening. My name is Jenny

3:18:02Graves, uh, 22 George Street North

3:18:04Haven. I'm vice president of New Haven

3:18:06Federation of Teachers. I'm a

3:18:08pretinerant

3:18:09in four schools this year. Um, I want to

3:18:12start tonight by just sharing a couple

3:18:14of very specific examples of concerns

3:18:17that I've experienced, not in

3:18:21not to complain, but to identify and to

3:18:24move forward with with some better

3:18:26solutions.

3:18:28Um the first thing that you'll find in

3:18:30your packet is um an article that was

3:18:34recently in the New Haven Independent

3:18:37um about the new KI pool repairs that

3:18:40need to be made. Um it it says that

3:18:44there's another $344,000

3:18:48worth of repairs and that um district

3:18:52leaders had just recently learned that

3:18:55the pool's dehumidif dehumidification

3:18:58system needs to be replaced.

3:19:01This is not new news. Um it might be

3:19:04news to Dr. White because he is newer in

3:19:07his role. Um but if you look

3:19:14more um Dennis Tanaldo who is the

3:19:17building manager at Kantis also a

3:19:19licensed pool operator submitted a work

3:19:22order in the system um January 2024

3:19:27um identifying that the humidifier the

3:19:30dehumidifier in the content pool is

3:19:32broken needs to be replaced

3:19:35um

3:19:37December 2020 24. I made an agenda to

3:19:41meet with Tom Lamb and the ABM um

3:19:44facilities team that identifies Ki is

3:19:48filled with water. It's not being used.

3:19:50The room has a broken dehumidifier. Mold

3:19:53question mark. HVAC question mark.

3:19:57March 2025. Dennis Tonaldo places

3:20:00another work order because the last one

3:20:03went unadressed

3:20:04saying that the humidity level in the

3:20:07pool area has been locked out and tagged

3:20:10out for several years. Um it is an

3:20:14imperative to either repair or replace

3:20:16this break this broken coil and

3:20:18condenser.

3:20:20My question is,

3:20:23how are we holding ABM accountable for

3:20:26the work orders that we have placed time

3:20:30and time again that have gone unressed?

3:20:33Now years later, we're in the hole for

3:20:36almost $350,000.

3:20:39I don't know what it would have cost in

3:20:412024 or before that to fix this. I know

3:20:46that everything costs more money in

3:20:482026.

3:20:50So, the longer that these work orders go

3:20:52unressed, the more money it ends up

3:20:54costing us. Um, if you move to this

3:20:59packet,

3:21:01I have questions about

3:21:04the city inspectors. We heard from them

3:21:07tonight. This is um Huh?

3:21:12>> Okay. This was a pool license from 2024

3:21:16that was signed by Marissa Bomb, our

3:21:19health director. And this is what the

3:21:22cross pool looked like at the time that

3:21:24she signed

3:21:26the pool license. So although we have

3:21:34city personnel coming into our schools,

3:21:37you know, citing what the deficiencies

3:21:40are, what are they doing with that

3:21:42information? Who is rubber stamping that

3:21:44it is okay is not okay. And if you would

3:21:48just allow me 20 more seconds.

3:21:51This last packet, these are four work

3:21:53orders that were in place for this

3:21:55school year. The first one is a good

3:21:58example of what should happen, right? We

3:22:00um Faith Donaldson, who I believe is an

3:22:03ABM worker, made a work order for the

3:22:06Lincoln Basset sprinkler system that

3:22:08flooded the library. It was assigned

3:22:10right away to the restoration system.

3:22:13The restoration said confirmed will

3:22:15arrive in an hour. Great. The next one,

3:22:19as of today, has still been pending

3:22:21assignment. was opened on September 2nd

3:22:24at Beecher School. We had rodents in the

3:22:27ceiling nesting as a result of multiple

3:22:30ceiling tiles of stains that need to be

3:22:32replaced as soon as possible. This a

3:22:34prek classroom. It has an attached

3:22:36video. I'm happy to email it to you. It

3:22:38is horrifying what the video shows in

3:22:41the ceiling. Please send that video.

3:22:43>> I will. Um the next one, September 10th,

3:22:46Barnard School. Tile in the hall by Jim

3:22:49keeps getting black mold. It is an

3:22:51ongoing problem. I have put work orders

3:22:54in. No response. The insulation for the

3:22:56pipes above is not correct. It needs to

3:22:58be repaired. The response from ABM in

3:23:01the work order system is something is

3:23:04wrong with the piping above this tile.

3:23:06Pat said they just taped it up years

3:23:08ago, but it's still consistently leaks

3:23:11causing the mold.

3:23:15And the most concerning one that I find

3:23:18is that the director of ABM, now these

3:23:20were not listed as emergency work

3:23:22orders. The emergency work order that

3:23:25the director of ABM

3:23:27placed on September 10th at Selantano

3:23:31assigns the only painter that we have in

3:23:33the district. Please go to Selantano and

3:23:36paint the assistant principal new office

3:23:38light blue. Please purchase the

3:23:41necessary materials to complete the

3:23:43task. Now, I'll tell you, I took my

3:23:46lunch and my prep the other day to

3:23:49accompany Dr. White and the city

3:23:52officials to tour Salantano and I can

3:23:56guarantee you that that is not the

3:23:57emergency in Seleno school. So, we need

3:24:02accountability. We need a plan of how to

3:24:06keep

3:24:08our contractors accountable for doing

3:24:10the work that they are assigned to do.

3:24:13And I'm really hoping to hear from the

3:24:14board of ed team tonight about who is

3:24:17going to be assigning work orders since

3:24:18ABM's last day is tomorrow. We do not

3:24:20have a director of facilities.

3:24:23>> Thank [snorts] you. I have a question.

3:24:25[applause]

3:24:27>> I just had a request for Mr. Chair. Can

3:24:31we get a copy of the contract with ABM

3:24:34and all like liability clauses and any

3:24:38>> call back provisions?

3:24:39>> Yes, thank you. Call back provisions.

3:24:40Thank you.

3:24:44>> Any other questions?

3:24:45>> Um Julie, just a comment. I just want to

3:24:46thank you for compiling this information

3:24:48which I know is tedious and just to say

3:24:50for you and for the public that we'll

3:24:52take all of this and we will upload it

3:24:54as public testimony so it'll be

3:24:55available to everyone in registar to

3:24:57view and study.

3:24:58>> Great.

3:24:59>> Yes.

3:25:00>> Thank you. I just had one question about

3:25:01the pool photos. So, I want to make sure

3:25:05I understand what you're saying.

3:25:07>> Yeah.

3:25:07>> So, how do you know that the photos here

3:25:10correlate with the date on the license?

3:25:12>> Because they were taken during that time

3:25:14and during September of 2024, the cross

3:25:18NHF team members went to the board of ed

3:25:20to talk about the very concerning

3:25:22facilities issues that they were

3:25:24experiencing and that was um what they

3:25:26presented at the time.

3:25:28So, the license for the pool is dated

3:25:31from January 1st to December 31st, 2024.

3:25:34Those pictures were taken September

3:25:362024.

3:25:38And from my understanding, it had been

3:25:39that way for quite some time.

3:25:42>> Okay. Thank you.

3:25:43>> You're welcome.

3:25:44>> Thank you for your testimony. Um, Justin

3:25:46Farmer.

3:25:48And then after that, Ann Watkins. She's

3:25:51still here.

3:25:52>> No.

3:25:53>> So, after Mr. farmer. We will have

3:25:55Rashanda McCollum and that'll be our

3:25:58last listed.

3:26:01>> All right. Good evening.

3:26:03>> Your name and address for the record,

3:26:04please.

3:26:05>> Justin Farmer, 1205 Forest Road. Maybe

3:26:08even

3:26:10um

3:26:11it is easier, right, to fix broken

3:26:15children than broken men. But our

3:26:18children should not be broken, right? Um

3:26:22the conditions of our schools rival Geog

3:26:25Group, right? The holding company of all

3:26:27the prisons. [clears throat]

3:26:30Black mold is in the ventilation

3:26:32systems, right? No one and I know no one

3:26:37has talked about what the plan is in

3:26:40terms of transition between now and May

3:26:44as if we are going to leave these kids

3:26:46in this condition until May.

3:26:49Right. As a person who grew up having

3:26:52asthma,

3:26:53spending many trips at Yale New Haven

3:26:56Hospital and having a mother working

3:26:59multiple jobs trying to get across town,

3:27:02it is something personal,

3:27:05right? When I see ice at our schools, it

3:27:08is something personal. And so when to

3:27:12grow up in a brownfield, to grow up in a

3:27:14contaminated neighborhood and literally

3:27:17cleaning up the mess that people left in

3:27:20my community 50 years ago and to see the

3:27:24conditions of our buildings and schools

3:27:28at a certain point, we can say someone

3:27:31dropped the ball, right? But the best

3:27:34time to plant a tree is now, right? So,

3:27:37as I said to Mayor Eleller, great. We

3:27:40get it. You inherited a mess. Cool.

3:27:42You've been in charge of it long enough.

3:27:44That is also your responsibility.

3:27:47Sharing power gets things done. If the

3:27:51idea is that we're just going to fix the

3:27:53roof,

3:27:55that is the wrong idea. Right? And I

3:27:57will remind you that that is the wrong

3:27:59idea. This is an opportunity once in a

3:28:02generation to get an assessment to bless

3:28:04you of what we need for our schools, how

3:28:08much it costs, and then we know what

3:28:10we're dealing with. And even if the data

3:28:13is outdated by the time we have the

3:28:15resources, then we at least know where

3:28:18to start from, right?

3:28:21The elephant in the room that we won't

3:28:23address is, do we need 39 schools? I

3:28:27don't know.

3:28:29Wow.

3:28:30>> [laughter]

3:28:32>> I I'm striking one because it doesn't it

3:28:34shouldn't be operated right now, right?

3:28:37Um, but we have to ask ourselves that

3:28:39question like right what makes the

3:28:42magnet effective what makes what like

3:28:45what do we want because the maintenance

3:28:47is always going to be an issue and if

3:28:49the problem is finances for maintenance

3:28:52I don't think that's the real issue but

3:28:55it is an opportunity to have those

3:28:56deeper conversations

3:28:58because we are in a better place than 50

3:29:01years ago when we pretend race didn't

3:29:04exist right so this Does the opportunity

3:29:07show leadership?

3:29:10>> Um, so I'm looking to be part of the

3:29:13solution,

3:29:14right? Um, I promise you, God,

3:29:20if my kids get into these schools and

3:29:25right, I'm just like, cool, let's not

3:29:28make that happen, right? Don't want me

3:29:30that Jamaican. So, I appreciate y'all.

3:29:34I'm looking forward to working with

3:29:36y'all, but we got to do better.

3:29:39>> Thank you.

3:29:42[applause]

3:29:45>> Thank you, Justin. My name is Shan

3:29:47McCullen. I am at 45 Maplewood Terrace

3:29:50in Hampton. Um, I was born and raised in

3:29:52New Haven and I am the executive

3:29:55director of Students for Educational

3:29:57Justice. Uh we are a New Haven based

3:30:00youthled organization that works

3:30:02alongside high school students to

3:30:04advocate for racial and educational

3:30:06justice. I'm here tonight because our

3:30:09students are fed up. Over the past two

3:30:12years, SCJ members representing nearly

3:30:14every high school in the city have

3:30:17repeatedly raised concerns about the

3:30:19physical conditions of their school

3:30:20buildings. They've talked about dirty

3:30:22and poorly maintained bathrooms,

3:30:25damaged, crumbling ceilings,

3:30:26deteriorating classrooms and common

3:30:29spaces, mold, mildew, and other

3:30:31conditions that make them feel as though

3:30:34the buildings where they spend most of

3:30:36their waking hours are simply not being

3:30:39cared for. Students have literally come

3:30:41to us with photographs that have taken

3:30:44they've taken within their schools

3:30:46documenting the dilapidation they

3:30:48experience every day. This includes

3:30:51current students as well as recent

3:30:52graduates. What I have seen with my own

3:30:55eyes would shock the community at large.

3:30:58The condition of a school building sends

3:31:00a message to every young person who

3:31:02walks through its doors about how much

3:31:04we value them. Students cannot be

3:31:06expected to thrive academically when

3:31:09they are learning in environments that

3:31:10are deteriorating around them. Teachers

3:31:13cannot be expected to provide the

3:31:16quality education our students deserve

3:31:18while simultaneously worrying about

3:31:20excessive heat, mold, water damage,

3:31:23inadequate bathrooms, failing

3:31:25infrastructure, and other building

3:31:28concerns. And our students notice this.

3:31:30They notice when bathrooms are so poorly

3:31:33maintained that they do not want to use

3:31:35them. We heard directly from students

3:31:37who talked about not having soap, not

3:31:39being able to lock the bathroom door,

3:31:41not being able to find an adequate

3:31:43bathroom in time to make it to class so

3:31:45that they're not penalized when they

3:31:47finally get there.

3:31:50Students also notice the stark

3:31:53difference between what they experience

3:31:56in New Haven compared to what students

3:31:58in other communities throughout

3:32:00Connecticut experience. A child's zip

3:32:02code should not determine whether they

3:32:04attend school in a building that is

3:32:05clean, safe, functional, and worthy of

3:32:08them. Our students deserve classrooms

3:32:11that communicate possibility, not

3:32:13neglect. They deserve bathrooms that

3:32:15preserve their dignity. They deserve

3:32:17buildings in which they can breathe

3:32:19safely, learn comfortably, and focus on

3:32:22their education. and our educators

3:32:24deserve workspaces that allow them to

3:32:26teach without having to fight for

3:32:28functional building conditions. At the

3:32:30same time, we are asking that the city

3:32:33and district leaders treat the condition

3:32:36of our schools with urgency, the urgency

3:32:38it deserves to thoroughly assess the

3:32:41conditions across school buildings,

3:32:42publicly identify what needs to be

3:32:44repaired, establish clear timelines for

3:32:47addressing those problems, and ensure

3:32:49that students, families, and the

3:32:50community are informed throughout the

3:32:52process.

3:32:54I would just add, they're not asking for

3:32:56luxury. They're just asking for dignity

3:32:59and for safety. And I think that we at

3:33:02the very least should be able to provide

3:33:03them with this.

3:33:07[applause]

3:33:13[laughter]

3:33:15>> Well, first off, thank you for everyone

3:33:16that gave testimony and I kind of would

3:33:19like is there anyone else that would

3:33:20like to give testimony that did not sign

3:33:22up?

3:33:25Got one there and one here. So, those

3:33:28will be our last two and then we'll go

3:33:29right to the board.

3:33:34>> You can come up right at the table.

3:33:43[laughter]

3:33:45>> Good evening.

3:33:47>> Name and address.

3:33:48>> Brianna Wingate. Address 1500 Elaso

3:33:51Boulevard. Yes. Hey, how you guys doing

3:33:54today?

3:33:55Good to see you.

3:33:56>> Also the co-chair for war 29 and the

3:33:58founder of bringing it foundation which

3:34:00we do support students from ages 123 and

3:34:03the giving community that I heard from

3:34:06tonight. Um I don't have three minutes

3:34:08but I won't take three. What I heard

3:34:11tonight was passionate testimonies of

3:34:14students, teachers, and community

3:34:16leaders alike and the problems that they

3:34:19are looking to fix.

3:34:21What I failed to hear tonight was

3:34:24ownership of what that solution looks

3:34:26like as a collective body.

3:34:29What that makes me

3:34:32like to do is get engaged in the fight.

3:34:36But what I'm disheartened in is that

3:34:39there are people in this room who have

3:34:41the opportunity to fix what is already

3:34:43the problem, but they're passive and

3:34:46they're not doing all that they can do

3:34:49to aid our students in being the best

3:34:51students that they can be for the

3:34:53future.

3:34:56I don't think I ever seen the leadership

3:34:58of the board of education lack something

3:35:02that they need because they go and they

3:35:04get it. If they need an administrator,

3:35:06they go and they get them.

3:35:08>> If they want their office painted, they

3:35:10make sure it's done. But what I heard

3:35:12tonight was

3:35:14students don't have basic needs.

3:35:17I heard that a student is more used to

3:35:20going through a metal detector on a

3:35:23day-to-day basis in which we're

3:35:25protecting them from themselves,

3:35:27but we're not protecting them from the

3:35:29things that we actually have

3:35:31infrastructure to be able to fix. We're

3:35:33fighting for money to be given to us.

3:35:35We're winning for the money to be given

3:35:37to us. Yet, I don't see where the money

3:35:39is going at a basic level. And that's a

3:35:42problem. I'm also going to thank the

3:35:44authors tonight for having the board of

3:35:47ed go last who have to hear the

3:35:50testimonies of [applause] the people who

3:35:53they experience on a dayto-day basis

3:35:55where they have to come and meet

3:35:57periodically but our students give every

3:35:59day Monday through Friday and do and

3:36:02experience these realities. So thank you

3:36:04tonight and that's my testimony.

3:36:08[applause]

3:36:15My name is Carrie Ellington. My address

3:36:17is uh 904 Willie Avenue.

3:36:21Um I just wanted to offer like a wider

3:36:24scope to our conversation today around

3:36:27the needs that need to be addressed at

3:36:29the and New Haven public schools. Um

3:36:31I'll start by saying that I'm like

3:36:33deeply committed to the young people

3:36:35here in New Haven. I've substituted in

3:36:38New Public Schools for a while. I work

3:36:40with youth at Common Ground for 5 years.

3:36:43I work with youth at Youth Rights Media.

3:36:45Many of the youth that youth Rice Media

3:36:47over like 15 years ago were bringing up

3:36:50and naming these issues in New Haven

3:36:52public schools. the lack the lack of

3:36:55um and I will say that uh

3:36:59we you know we have a structural issue

3:37:03um like much black and brown cities do

3:37:05um where the monies often get allotted

3:37:08to increasing police budgets um and uh

3:37:12not enough money gets uh allocated to

3:37:15the needs of the public [clears throat]

3:37:16school systems. Um, I say that being a

3:37:19kid that grew up in Brooklyn and the

3:37:21Bronx, went to New York City public

3:37:22schools. Um, last year, uh, the mayor

3:37:27proposed a budget that the board of

3:37:29alers signed off on. Um, and that

3:37:31increased the police's budget from, I

3:37:33believe, something like 58 million to

3:37:35$64 million. Um, I know that the mayor

3:37:39also increased the public safety budget

3:37:4110 million with over, you know, over,

3:37:43excuse me, um, $10 million. My numbers

3:37:45may not be exact. Um, and that went to

3:37:49public safety. And I understand that

3:37:50something like three million of those

3:37:52dollars went to improving technologies

3:37:54and putting cameras up around the city.

3:37:57Um, so to me, I think that the

3:37:59structural issue here is that we need to

3:38:01redefine how we think about public

3:38:03safety. um when we all lot $10 million

3:38:08that kind of comes out of I guess the

3:38:10the general fund um to public safety,

3:38:13but young people are saying that

3:38:15thousands of young people that go to New

3:38:16Haven public schools are saying that

3:38:19they are in and teachers are saying that

3:38:21they are in um neglectful conditions.

3:38:24How is that public safety?

3:38:27And why can't that $10 million for

3:38:30public safety get allotted to making

3:38:32these fixes? um than the next budget

3:38:35year. Why can't we come up with that

3:38:38money to make these fixes for New Haven

3:38:40public schools? Um I understand that

3:38:42money is going to officer salaries,

3:38:44overtime pay, cameras. Um but our kids

3:38:48are going to school with rats, mice,

3:38:51holes in the ceilings, leaks coming

3:38:53down. Um that's not public safety.

3:38:58So the board of alers has power as you

3:39:01approve that budget. Um, I know the

3:39:03finance committee looks at it and it

3:39:05gets brought to the general board. Um,

3:39:08we need to make some changes and we need

3:39:10to divest from policing and reinvest in

3:39:14public education.

3:39:18That's a big issue and that's an issue

3:39:20that our nation's been discussing, but

3:39:22y'all have a place in that. And I wanted

3:39:24to put that here. I know a lot a lot of

3:39:26people kind of have repeated the same

3:39:27points, but I wanted to bring this new

3:39:29point to you all. Um, our city organized

3:39:33years ago for a civilian review board,

3:39:35and I know that has its challenges. I've

3:39:37been reading in the newspaper. Um, but

3:39:39we need to really organize and show up

3:39:42to the finance committee meetings when

3:39:45the mayor makes a new budget proposal

3:39:47and ensure that these divestments are

3:39:50made and reinvested into our public

3:39:52schools.

3:39:53Um because it's not okay with me that I

3:39:56can drive past fancy cameras on my block

3:39:58that tax me money, right? If I'm going a

3:40:00little over the speed limit, I think

3:40:02it's 25 miles. Um but our kids, you

3:40:06know, are sitting in classrooms. I went

3:40:09I went on the tour in uh Hill House High

3:40:11School. There were blinking lights.

3:40:13They're like blinking lights in a dim

3:40:15room that they send our kids who are

3:40:17having trouble in schools to in Hill

3:40:19House. It looks like a prison,

3:40:23right? And I and and we understand how

3:40:25police are deeply tied to the quarter of

3:40:28of uh uh uh population of excuse me, the

3:40:32quarter of um of the world's prison

3:40:35population sits here in in the United

3:40:38States. Police are directly connected to

3:40:40that and the school to prison pipeline

3:40:42is directly connected to that and the

3:40:44lack of funding in schools is directly

3:40:46connected to that. and the board of

3:40:47alers approving the budget that

3:40:50constantly gets increased for the police

3:40:53um is connected to that and we all need

3:40:55to I implore you all to like think more

3:40:57nuanced about that. Think about your

3:40:59role in that um because you do have

3:41:01power um and we need you. We need our

3:41:03schools to be repaired and that 10

3:41:05million right could be going to fix that

3:41:07roof at Hill House. Um I heard the mayor

3:41:10say that we need to go up to the state

3:41:13to fight and that's correct. We do need

3:41:15to go up to the state to fight for more

3:41:16dollars, but we if we can kind of

3:41:19magically find money to increase the

3:41:21police budget here at the city, then we

3:41:23can maybe find some dollars to get to

3:41:26the schools to be repaired. I didn't say

3:41:28that in the most eloquent way, and I

3:41:29appreciate y'all for hearing me out, but

3:41:31that's definitely a discussion that the

3:41:32city needs to continue and that um the

3:41:35people here need to help push our owners

3:41:37to do.

3:41:39[applause]

3:41:41Anyone else?

3:41:45Is there anyone else from that wish to

3:41:47give testimony

3:41:49hearing? None.

3:41:51>> Motion to close the public.

3:41:53>> Second.

3:41:56[clears throat]

3:41:57Well, Dr. White, Dr. Ne,

3:42:00the floor is yours.

3:42:21>> [clears throat]

3:42:23>> name and add record, please.

3:42:27[clears throat]

3:42:28>> Dr. Paul White, 170 Osborne Avenue, New

3:42:32Haven, Connecticut.

3:42:33>> Dr. Mal negro Senator Cat Street in

3:42:36Connecticut.

3:42:40I want to start tonight by thanking uh

3:42:43our students.

3:42:45I want to thank our staff. I want to

3:42:49thank our families

3:42:51uh for bringing forth

3:42:54all the challenges

3:42:57that we are facing as a district.

3:43:01I want to reiterate um

3:43:05phrases that I heard tonight that I'm

3:43:07hoping you heard as well.

3:43:10Um it's time for the collective to

3:43:12accept responsibility.

3:43:15Small moves is no longer enough.

3:43:20It is a structural problem

3:43:24and we have been in a vicious cycle of

3:43:26underfunding.

3:43:29Those resonated for me

3:43:32as I think about black and brown

3:43:34children. No child should be in the

3:43:39conditions that we have children today.

3:43:42I'll be the first one to agree with

3:43:45those statements.

3:43:47And I know that all of us here and the

3:43:49community that was here tonight, at

3:43:51least we have that in common that we

3:43:54believe New Haven school children

3:43:55deserve safe, clean school buildings in

3:43:59which they can learn. Our school staff

3:44:02deserve spaces in which they can work

3:44:04effectively. They need to spend less

3:44:06time worrying about conditions in the

3:44:08schools and in their classrooms.

3:44:12We also all agree that most of our

3:44:15buildings no longer meet those

3:44:17expectations.

3:44:19We agree with that.

3:44:21Think back to the time when on the ninth

3:44:25floor over at 54 Meadow, you had an

3:44:29entire floor dedicated to school

3:44:33construction

3:44:34and facilities.

3:44:37Those days long gone.

3:44:42All of that to say that we know that the

3:44:43problems that we face today did not crop

3:44:46up overnight.

3:44:48Beginning in 1995,

3:44:50New Haven undertook an extensive effort

3:44:53to rebuild, replace, or renovate

3:44:56virtually its entire public school

3:44:58infrastructure.

3:45:00At least 42 major school building

3:45:02projects were undertaken by 2018.

3:45:07It was an enormous comm uh commitment by

3:45:10the city, by the state, and above all an

3:45:15investment in New Haven's children.

3:45:19An entire community making that

3:45:21investment to say we're going to invest

3:45:23in our children so that they can have

3:45:26those conditions.

3:45:28So, the history is clear.

3:45:31The city and the state back then found

3:45:33the money to build and let's be real but

3:45:37not to maintain what had been built

3:45:41and budget after budget

3:45:43decisions had to be made.

3:45:46When we say this is what it takes to

3:45:49continue to provide teaching and

3:45:51learning for students in the promise of

3:45:54a public education. This is what we need

3:45:57to be able to staff it. This is what we

3:46:00need to be able to maintain and none of

3:46:03that happened for decades.

3:46:06You heard tonight and I'm so happy that

3:46:08my own students reference this data

3:46:11point [clears throat] tonight.

3:46:13The reality is that the industry

3:46:15benchmark for spending on building

3:46:17maintenance is from $3 to $4.50 per

3:46:21square foot.

3:46:23And in New Haven right now, we currently

3:46:26spend $1.70.

3:46:29The school system currently compromises

3:46:324.3 million square ft,

3:46:36which means we should be spending

3:46:38between 5.5 million and 11.9 million

3:46:42more than what we currently spend on

3:46:46maintenance.

3:46:48And just to correct the record of

3:46:50something that I heard tonight, it was a

3:46:53request. I'm going to give you that

3:46:54information tonight.

3:46:56It was stated that um we have received,

3:47:02let me make sure I'm not misquing,

3:47:05that we have received

3:47:07$78 million in capital budget for a

3:47:11fiveyear

3:47:12term.

3:47:14Correcting the record, we have received

3:47:17$44.2 million in capital budget for a

3:47:22six-year term that includes next year.

3:47:25And the current balance right now, we

3:47:27see as of today, $8.3 million

3:47:31that we need to extend to capital

3:47:33improvements that we have to do this

3:47:35year and next year. In addition to that,

3:47:39when it comes to the operating budget,

3:47:42so when we talk about the difference

3:47:43between capital budget, operating

3:47:45budget, operating budget is where the

3:47:48maintenance is going to come from and

3:47:49all the repairs that you hear about, the

3:47:52doors, the locks, the switches.

3:47:55Operating budget, $1.3 million.

3:48:00To put it in perspective, you heard how

3:48:03we are um going after every possible

3:48:06rent, every possible state allocation to

3:48:10do uh repairs, major repairs to add to

3:48:13the capital budget that we do not have.

3:48:16One roof

3:48:18estimated at $ 8.8 million, just one. I

3:48:23just mentioned our current balance right

3:48:24now is $8.3 million.

3:48:28I also wanted to put it in perspective

3:48:31and that our children need more. And

3:48:34later I'm going to answer the question

3:48:35that we heard tonight. Well, what is it

3:48:37that we need? What will it take? I want

3:48:40to be able to answer that question. But

3:48:42before I do that, I also want to give

3:48:45the perspective

3:48:49when it comes to what we do have and

3:48:52what we don't have as it relates to our

3:48:54ability to do our due diligence in

3:48:57maintaining our buildings.

3:48:59Take a building as large as Hill House,

3:49:04right? Everybody's familiar with Hill

3:49:05House, the scope and the magnitude of

3:49:07that comprehensive high school. In that

3:49:10building, we have one full-time

3:49:12custodian

3:49:15plus five part-time custodians during

3:49:18the day for that entire building.

3:49:22We have one full-time custodian a night.

3:49:27That is not enough to keep up that

3:49:30building clean to be able to assess

3:49:34every day to inspect and see here's an

3:49:38issue developing. Let's get it into the

3:49:40work order. Let's get things moving.

3:49:44So, there are a lot of things that need

3:49:45to be flattened. One of it is the fact

3:49:48of dollars in terms of allocations.

3:49:51Another one I argue is the part around

3:49:54the staffing that year after year has

3:49:58had to be cut.

3:50:01You may recall years ago

3:50:04the strategy the cost effective strategy

3:50:07was to bring about a private contractor.

3:50:11So when Gilbank left right when that

3:50:15whole team left

3:50:17district said okay strategy we'll go to

3:50:20a contractor

3:50:23and we have been with ABM perhaps back

3:50:27then a few dollars were saved again I

3:50:30was not here at the time but I imagine

3:50:32that that was a strategy

3:50:34we know that that strategy no longer

3:50:37works

3:50:38we have heard that time after time and

3:50:42that is why I believe you are aware and

3:50:44it was referenced today we have now been

3:50:47transitioning

3:50:49to an in-house internal

3:50:53uh facilities management strategy

3:50:57but that is also going to require

3:51:00because I also heard

3:51:03um

3:51:04we don't need to hear from doctors to

3:51:07tell you all about maintenance I agree

3:51:10with

3:51:11Uh we need the people with the expertise

3:51:15to build the team that is going to be

3:51:17able to maintain and assess all 39

3:51:22buildings where children are in along

3:51:24with the five other buildings right now

3:51:26that are being utilized.

3:51:29That is the magnitude of what we need to

3:51:32ensure that we are taking care of the

3:51:354.3 million square feet and that right

3:51:38now all we have to tend to all these

3:51:42needs that you heard tonight which are

3:51:45real

3:51:47three carpenters,

3:51:50two electricians,

3:51:52two plumbers, one painter.

3:51:56That is what we have.

3:51:59All of that needs to change and the

3:52:02strategy now that we're working on is in

3:52:05doing the transition. But in that

3:52:07transition it means that we have to

3:52:09bring the expertise the expertise that

3:52:12needs to come in the shape of engineers

3:52:17on infrastructure and operations to

3:52:20support all of these capital

3:52:22improvements that we're working on.

3:52:24Um

3:52:26you cannot have a situation where you

3:52:29have one custodian

3:52:32taking care of an entire building. You

3:52:35need and we agree as you have res

3:52:37referenced time and time and again we

3:52:40need higher accountability.

3:52:42Is the work happening? Who is doing the

3:52:45work? who is sitting at that work order

3:52:48system where that's their only job to

3:52:50sit and be like deploy, deploy, deploy,

3:52:54deploy. And not only deploy, double

3:52:56check who's on it. Go inspect who did

3:53:00it.

3:53:02We need the staffing to move to that

3:53:05model because we know that is the model

3:53:07that has been missing. Right now we

3:53:11continue to address issues as they come

3:53:16rating them as high priorities and also

3:53:20tonight. You heard some things that I'm

3:53:21saying like they do not make sense

3:53:24because I would be the first one to tell

3:53:25you really painting that office was an

3:53:28emergency.

3:53:29That's not an emergency when we have

3:53:32only one painter in the entire district.

3:53:35These are the things that we are trying

3:53:38to get out.

3:53:40Um the effect of the deferred

3:53:43maintenance is cumulative

3:53:46as you heard again from many of our

3:53:48teachers that reference that this was

3:53:50this is nothing new. We have all heard

3:53:53it for decades. We continue to hear it.

3:53:57And I would say that we all have the

3:53:59collective responsibility to do right by

3:54:02our students

3:54:04and

3:54:07we got to come together to rally. I want

3:54:11to um shout out the NHF

3:54:16president

3:54:18who tonight

3:54:19basically said, "I want to focus on

3:54:23solutions.

3:54:26I we too want to focus on solutions.

3:54:30So I think we have that

3:54:33um in common.

3:54:38There are a lot of issues as you heard

3:54:40tonight that have to be addressed

3:54:42starting with mold,

3:54:45starting with um HVAC systems, starting

3:54:50with roofs and the list goes on and on

3:54:54and on. situations around or bathrooms,

3:54:58situations around our stair stair

3:55:00threats,

3:55:02all of that uh needs to be taken care

3:55:06of. But I will say that at this point we

3:55:11are going to need the support

3:55:13to be able to make this transition so

3:55:16that we can bring

3:55:19the positions that we need with the

3:55:21expertise to be able to do the work,

3:55:25monitor the work and hold our

3:55:28contractors

3:55:29accountable

3:55:31um for the work that is going to take

3:55:35place. Uh, with that I want to um

3:55:42pass the mic to Dr. White so that he can

3:55:45add to those pieces.

3:55:49>> Good evening. So again, echoing nothing

3:55:53that has been said tonight is disputed.

3:55:57It is all work that has to be done and

3:56:00all work that we believe needs to be

3:56:02done and morally trying to do everything

3:56:05we can. We have 11 trades people. We

3:56:09call out to our trade uh to our

3:56:13contractors and we try to hold each one

3:56:16of these people accountable and go back

3:56:18and make this work. um going into a

3:56:21building, making sure uh that the roof

3:56:24leaks, the ones that we were able to

3:56:26address at Hill House, uh spent

3:56:29Saturday, Sunday going in back and forth

3:56:32into Hill House to make sure that it's

3:56:35we were ready to open and things that we

3:56:37have to do. But then at the same time,

3:56:40there's we fix one, then sometimes

3:56:43something else opens up. So, we still

3:56:46have to continue doing this work and

3:56:48fixing this as we go forward. Uh,

3:56:52temporary solutions is not the best

3:56:54answer, but at the same time, we don't

3:56:56want um uh it raining in a classroom

3:57:01come Monday morning. And so, those are

3:57:05the pieces that have to be done. Um the

3:57:10bathroom cleanliness issue we will be uh

3:57:14we've brought on sort of on district

3:57:17supervisors who will be managing our

3:57:20custodians. So this is going to be one

3:57:23of those things because there are the

3:57:25supplies in the district. The supplies

3:57:27should be in those buildings ready to

3:57:29there's no reason there should be a

3:57:31empty soap dispenser and those things

3:57:35are supposed to be replenished. It's

3:57:37part of the night cleaning. It's part of

3:57:38the day cleaning. It's part of the

3:57:40midday cleaning that these things be

3:57:41restocked. So again, that's something

3:57:44that has to be addressed.

3:57:48Uh where we have found more will

3:57:51continue to do the inspections, cut it

3:57:54out. Um where we are experienced rodents

3:57:58we are we are engaging a new company to

3:58:01have get better results with the

3:58:06uh with baiting the in trapping. One of

3:58:09the challenges we do have when we do um

3:58:13work with uh rodents is

3:58:17there are some rules about if you can

3:58:19bake traps when particularly around

3:58:22spaces where we have little kids. So

3:58:25sometimes you can only do boot traps,

3:58:27things like that. And we're trying to

3:58:29expand ways to do additional work over

3:58:31weekends so that we can break down break

3:58:34these things from happening.

3:58:36So these are the these are the

3:58:38continuous things that we are working on

3:58:41the three roof projects um to the Truman

3:58:45staff. Uh these are things that we are

3:58:49trying to fast track to have all three

3:58:51of these rooms going into out to bed at

3:58:55the same time so that they can all be

3:58:57done cuz one of the things that

3:58:59following the the roof at is HVAC which

3:59:03we are already scoping out how that's

3:59:06going to look and then uh we've got the

3:59:10next four schools that we're looking at

3:59:12for what we're doing with roofs and so

3:59:15and Again, it's going to be applied for

3:59:17it, but as I mentioned before, they'll

3:59:19be coming to you to say

3:59:23we will need this 23% map match for each

3:59:27of these schools. So, there are real

3:59:29numbers that come around with with each

3:59:32grant opportunity, each thing that we

3:59:34have to do. And that's where we as a

3:59:36community have to decide where the

3:59:38money's coming from so that we can

3:59:41pursue that.

3:59:45We are all working on this together.

3:59:47Again, there's no at no point is any of

3:59:51this to try to say we can't do it. It's

3:59:55about where we going to establish the

3:59:57way we're going to find way to do this

4:00:00and do all the things there. We are in a

4:00:04reactive mode right now where like um

4:00:09I'll be asking uh Miss Lau's teachers

4:00:12will identify with some of the things we

4:00:14were talking about today like a

4:00:17[laughter] broken lot broken bathrooms

4:00:19again little fixes things that can be

4:00:21done right away. Those are things that

4:00:23we're doing also in our work order

4:00:26system. Uh a technical challenge has

4:00:29been getting our trade to close out all

4:00:32of the work orders so that we have an

4:00:34accurate look. Uh got them the

4:00:37technology that they need to so that

4:00:39they can do their closeouts and so that

4:00:42we will be able to produce reports

4:00:44transparently of what's happening across

4:00:47each of our schools, what is happening

4:00:49for

4:00:51families to see, everyone to see. So

4:00:53that again we'll work on it. Sometimes

4:00:55it'll be little

4:00:59bathroom lashing is not the biggest

4:01:02thing in the world, but again, it's some

4:01:04of the work that's done. And then as we

4:01:06go through this, there are pieces of

4:01:08work that aren't outwardly visible, but

4:01:10these are all the pieces of the work

4:01:12that we're working on as we go through

4:01:15and come together with

4:01:17what's going to be the real cost to fix

4:01:20everything across our district.

4:01:22>> Dr. I have a quick question I'm going to

4:01:25have to apologize. I have a medical

4:01:27procedure in nine hours I got to go

4:01:29prepare for. Um, but I just have one

4:01:32quick question. Is it possible

4:01:37to get a draft plan? I know that three,

4:01:40four months ago there was a master plan

4:01:42being discussed, but is there a

4:01:44shortterm plan for the next three

4:01:46months, October, November, December of

4:01:48whether there's going to be staffing

4:01:50issues, material, and then kind of put a

4:01:52price to it. So, back in January, you

4:01:55gave us a presentation and you are

4:01:57consistent to your numbers

4:01:59where we talked about a$1.70 a square

4:02:01foot when you did a training for the

4:02:02board of Walders to where the it went up

4:02:05to 340. I believe most of my committee

4:02:08here believes it's closer to $5 a square

4:02:09foot than it is 3.40, but um if it

4:02:13possible just for us to kind of ponder

4:02:16how you plan on doing this so what I

4:02:19mean by that is

4:02:21you're going to bring on some part-time

4:02:22workers or you going to bring on some

4:02:24full-time workers? Are you going to go

4:02:25back out to contract? You know, what is

4:02:27the manpower look like to do it? What is

4:02:29the cost associated with that? What are

4:02:32your shortfalls and gaps in that in that

4:02:34process of doing it? Um, we also know

4:02:36you're hiring a facilities manager, kind

4:02:38of give us an idea when that may happen.

4:02:41Um, and um, really for for for me as

4:02:46part of building this solution strategy

4:02:50for us as a board and as you saw there

4:02:52was 15 board members here tonight. So

4:02:55two more you had a majority

4:02:57[clears throat] if you had but um, it

4:03:00would really be helpful to know what the

4:03:02plan is. Uh, everyone here that was gave

4:03:05testimony is all feeling that there's a

4:03:08lack of urgency, which I don't believe

4:03:10that there's a lack of urgency as as as

4:03:13much as there is a lack of transparency

4:03:15and in what the plan is. So, um, that

4:03:19would be very helpful. So, with that,

4:03:20I'm going to turn over to my vice chair

4:03:22and I will I'm sure I'll be talking to

4:03:24you very shortly after other meetings.

4:03:27But, thank you for this evening and

4:03:29thank you everyone that participated.

4:03:31Thank you for the board of education

4:03:32members. uh Mr. Wararez and I know Dr.

4:03:34Joiner was here earlier that that

4:03:36participated and I know another board

4:03:38members are watching on the New Haven

4:03:40YouTube. One last point for anyone who

4:03:42wants to revisit this, you can go to the

4:03:44New Haven Alders YouTube page and review

4:03:48all the testimony that was given

4:03:49tonight. If you need a reference on some

4:03:51of the strong points made by uh city

4:03:53officials, those that gave testimony and

4:03:56the board of ed and comments from us.

4:03:58>> Thank you for that wonderful

4:03:59information.

4:04:00>> Thank you, Mr. Chair. Good luck with the

4:04:02procedure. As you um transition out, I

4:04:06do want to answer um the question from

4:04:09Alder Hogan.

4:04:10>> Um one of the pieces that um we are

4:04:14going to be bringing before you is

4:04:15exactly what does the organization

4:04:18structure look like in terms of the

4:04:21number of people that we need to bring

4:04:23about the oversight that I'm speaking

4:04:24about, right? we can't continue to work

4:04:27with basically one person per school

4:04:30that we're we're never going to get

4:04:31there. So the idea is to um show you uh

4:04:35organizationally what does a structure

4:04:37look like from the director of

4:04:40facilities which again is still open

4:04:42right that was a position that's in our

4:04:44budget. uh we're still looking to hire

4:04:47somebody into that position. But in

4:04:49addition to that, how are we thinking

4:04:51about grouping our schools so that we

4:04:53have um a greater number of people that

4:04:57are devoted to the maintenance aspect of

4:05:00our buildings including the current um

4:05:03staffing that we have now. So short term

4:05:06that is what we are um planning to bring

4:05:10before you. Longer term still is

4:05:15um the piece from Per Perkins uh East

4:05:18Fen that is continuing to to do the last

4:05:22um piece of the work so then we can

4:05:24bring you the more long plan piece um

4:05:28that we said we would um attempt to

4:05:30bring to you by December 31st.

4:05:33Um so those are the two um places where

4:05:36we are right now.

4:05:40And just one thing um do want to echo

4:05:43back to all the Hogan said about

4:05:46urgency. Absolutely there's an urgency

4:05:48to do all of this work but when the pot

4:05:51is small it's really

4:05:54it ends up being what is the most urgent

4:05:56at this moment that we have to get done

4:05:59and we have to get we have to get beyond

4:06:01that and I recognize that everyone

4:06:05recognized that we have to get beyond

4:06:07that to the point where we are doing

4:06:10everything that needs to be done as we

4:06:12can do better

4:06:14>> thank you Dr. background. Dr. White, do

4:06:17I have any questions from committee

4:06:18members? Uh, all of the

4:06:21>> Thank you, Mr. Vice Chair. Thank you,

4:06:23too, for sticking it out. I know it's a

4:06:25late night. Um, and thank you for

4:06:27acknowledging and speaking with more

4:06:29urgency than I think we heard this

4:06:31summer. I appreciate you explicitly

4:06:33acknowledging this is a major major

4:06:35problem. Um,

4:06:37I just want to follow up on the timeline

4:06:39of [snorts] that organizational

4:06:40structure. I know we're transitioning

4:06:42from ABM it sounds like in the next

4:06:45couple of days.

4:06:46>> What is the plan in terms of staffing

4:06:49and when will we get that organizational

4:06:51structure?

4:06:52>> So the staffing for that smaller piece

4:06:55Dr. White already has those positions

4:06:57already posted and we have been um

4:07:01hiring people. Basically, ABM had all

4:07:05the

4:07:06six positions, seven positions

4:07:09>> on management that we're bringing in the

4:07:11house. That's one component of it, but

4:07:14we're talking more comprehensive to deal

4:07:17with maintenance that we do not have.

4:07:21Um, so the the that's the one that we

4:07:24should be able to bring to you. We're

4:07:25working right now in collaboration with

4:07:28the city as you saw the team here

4:07:30talking about greater collaboration that

4:07:32we're doing and again tapping into

4:07:35experts that are available on the city

4:07:37side to look at our factors of where we

4:07:40are in terms of square footage and be

4:07:43able to recommend and what number should

4:07:45we be um considering as ample staff to

4:07:49be able to manage a district this size.

4:07:52So um conversations have begun. We know

4:07:55there's urgency on both sides and then

4:07:57we'll be able to bring that plan

4:07:59forward. Also that would have the

4:08:01financial not only the positions but

4:08:03also the financial cost. So if

4:08:05everybody's clear on what it is that

4:08:08will bring about the high level of

4:08:09maintenance that we're looking for

4:08:11>> and some staff has already been hired or

4:08:13facilities asset manager will be um

4:08:17joining us in. So in terms of like some

4:08:21of the vetting of work orders that will

4:08:23be taking place there as well as our

4:08:26district supervisors will be in. So

4:08:28those are some of the positions that are

4:08:30in place now as we transition and other

4:08:33other staff already in the department

4:08:35are taking on roles as we get all the

4:08:38city fully staffed up

4:08:40>> and without a facilities director during

4:08:42this transition. You are at the helm of

4:08:43this.

4:08:44>> Yes.

4:08:44>> Okay.

4:08:46It's okay if you don't have it. There's

4:08:47no like can we expect this

4:08:49organizational plan for our next

4:08:51workshop on the fourth Wednesday?

4:08:53>> Again, I'm working with the city. Um, so

4:08:56I don't want to give you a date because

4:08:57I'm working with the city to be able to

4:08:59put that skeleton together.

4:09:01>> Got it. Thank you. It sounds like a a a

4:09:04positive step. Um,

4:09:07I think those are my questions for now.

4:09:08Thank you, Mr. Chair.

4:09:09>> Thank you, Alder. Any other committee

4:09:11members have questions? Alder Ken.

4:09:15>> Thank you, Mr. Vice Chair. Um, thank you

4:09:17so much for being here. Um, I know you

4:09:21don't have easy jobs. U for sure. Um,

4:09:24one thing I've heard a lot from um, the

4:09:29public school community and the city at

4:09:30large is transparency to the board of

4:09:33education budget. Um, and not just the

4:09:36budget. I think we've um, discovered

4:09:38here like sort of the like where work

4:09:42orders disappear go to and disappear

4:09:44into. And I I know that may not be like

4:09:47a report you can do, but I think that's

4:09:49something that we need to work towards

4:09:51because there has been for whatever

4:09:54reasons um and maybe not include people

4:09:57in the room here, a lack of trust. And I

4:10:00think that some kind of transparency and

4:10:03you know, even some elders were talking

4:10:05about money going to the board of ed and

4:10:08more being asked every year and not and

4:10:10only having a thumbs up, thumbs down and

4:10:13have being able to have more confidence.

4:10:15um in the finances that do go to the

4:10:17board event and this may show exactly

4:10:19the story you're telling with this chart

4:10:21is that there is a huge gap but I think

4:10:23just having that um and maybe it already

4:10:26is and I I I don't know so please

4:10:28forgive me but but I think that would go

4:10:30a long way so just asking if there is an

4:10:33openness to that and opening up the

4:10:36budget transparency and the and the work

4:10:40order transparency I guess

4:10:42>> Kim um we also um agree that we have to

4:10:47have greater communication

4:10:50around what are we working on, where are

4:10:53we going because a lot of that is what

4:10:55creates uncertainties like right we

4:10:57heard that um tonight. The other piece

4:11:01also about the budget is that we

4:11:03continue to do better and better and

4:11:05more detailed budget presentations that

4:11:08happen on a monthly basis to our finance

4:11:10and operations team.

4:11:13um so that we can go deeper into the

4:11:15different um line items and even um

4:11:19bringing about better tools so that we

4:11:23can bring then the comprehensive budget

4:11:26asks to the mayor in time for when he's

4:11:29making his proposal um to you in terms

4:11:33of education funding. So those are all

4:11:36the pieces that we are working on our

4:11:38side. Um because we we agree with you.

4:11:42We want we have to rebuild um the trust

4:11:47um from the community and all of our

4:11:49constituents. And I think uh that comes

4:11:53about to frequent clear and timely

4:11:57communication and as much transparency

4:12:00as possible. And in terms of the work

4:12:02order, uh we are organizing new reports

4:12:07of how we're going to distri, uh show

4:12:09that information. Part of that will be

4:12:11coming out during the citywide

4:12:14stewardship committee which uh I believe

4:12:18Alder Hogan is currently the rep for but

4:12:21it is a committee but involves both city

4:12:24staff and uh MPS staff that looks at

4:12:28this overall looks at all the

4:12:30stewardship going across all of our

4:12:32buildings. And this is this

4:12:34[clears throat] is where this will run.

4:12:35We do a monthly stewardship report and

4:12:38the the work orders will be incorporated

4:12:41into it. Um so far we've had 710

4:12:46I believe as of this morning of work

4:12:48orders from the August 31st through now.

4:12:52And uh many have been closed, many are

4:12:56still sitting open. The work has been

4:12:58done. That's one of the gaps we also

4:13:00want to clean up as we go in to present

4:13:02this to you. So that one, we're showing

4:13:04you accurate information of these 800,

4:13:07how many of them, but also showing why

4:13:09something may not be done if it's uh a

4:13:12part that's 6 weeks out. Um it'll show

4:13:16that this is 6 weeks away. Why? That's

4:13:20why it's not closed in a couple days.

4:13:22But that's that's where we're heading

4:13:24with the work order.

4:13:26>> Thank you, Dr. White. Thank you, Mr.

4:13:29>> Any other questions from committee

4:13:30members?

4:13:32>> Alder Melendas.

4:13:35>> Um

4:13:37Dr. Negro, this question is for you. Um

4:13:41first, thank you for acknowledging that

4:13:43there's a problem because when you and

4:13:45the mayor gave that press conference

4:13:47after the letter went out stating that

4:13:50it was incorrect, that was very

4:13:52disheartening for me. Um,

4:13:56now that we know that there is a problem

4:13:59and you are working towards fixing it,

4:14:01which is what we want to do. We want to

4:14:03work towards a solution and you're

4:14:05telling us that you need these positions

4:14:06and we need to find money. In January,

4:14:09when we did the training and you did the

4:14:11present, your team did the presentation.

4:14:14You had your finance person, your newly

4:14:16hired finance person there. He promised

4:14:20that we would have a line item budget

4:14:23soon. That was in January. We're in

4:14:27October almost, right? Will we get that

4:14:30by the end of the year?

4:14:32>> The line item budget is already there

4:14:35and is posted.

4:14:36>> It's it's on I'm sorry that I um I'm

4:14:40sorry. Thank you.

4:14:42>> And other Melindes um to go back and I

4:14:45wanted to reference a comment that I

4:14:49think was CEO McCarthy that mentioned,

4:14:51right? I think it's also um we are

4:14:55operating under the guidelines right of

4:14:59OSHA and those types of definitions

4:15:01right of what is safe and ready to open

4:15:05based on those standards and I agree

4:15:08like people say like based on those

4:15:12standards or the bare like minimum

4:15:15we know that our kids deserve better

4:15:20than than what we have right now for our

4:15:23kids in the majority of our buildings.

4:15:26>> I I've got to say that if you think and

4:15:28you we talk about tonight, right? We're

4:15:30all here and

4:15:33I think about how those kids testified,

4:15:36how articulate they were,

4:15:39>> how proud I am that they came across,

4:15:43you know, here had the courage and, you

4:15:46know, to articulate in wonderful full

4:15:48sentences. They made sense. correct

4:15:50English. Imagine if we gave them what

4:15:53they deserved. I think that would be a

4:15:56great legacy for you to have as a Latina

4:16:01superintendent of a black and brown

4:16:03community. They all came up, you know,

4:16:07it was a very diverse group and you

4:16:10know, uh

4:16:13we should [clears throat] be proud,

4:16:14right? And in that same breath, we

4:16:17should do all that we can to give them

4:16:20what they deserve. Um, the fact that a

4:16:24principal had his office painted, that's

4:16:26disgusting

4:16:28because the amount of paint that it can

4:16:31cost, you could fix probably two locks

4:16:33in the bathroom so that the girls don't

4:16:34have to use the bathroom with the door

4:16:36open or put soap in the soap dispenser.

4:16:40It should not be happening. I'm not

4:16:42saying that. I'm not holding you

4:16:43accountable for that. I know that you

4:16:45cannot admit that you're not going to be

4:16:47physical with 4,000 employees. That's

4:16:50impossible. I don't ask that of you. Um

4:16:54my question is how do you how

4:16:58are you asking, you know, what's your

4:17:01plan for us to entrust more dollars into

4:17:04your account? And you can tell me that

4:17:07these things are not going to happen

4:17:09that you're going to put, you know,

4:17:11things into place where you know there's

4:17:14going to be accountability because right

4:17:15now the city has allocated all that

4:17:18money for this uh company and it perhaps

4:17:21it was contracted before you. Yes, it

4:17:23was. Okay. But now you came in and they

4:17:28were they were running a muck. No one

4:17:30held them accountable. We threw all that

4:17:32money out the window and we're in a

4:17:33worse place now that we did when we

4:17:35handed them over to schools.

4:17:38>> So, Alder uh Melendez, again, I agree

4:17:40with you. Right. The one thing that I

4:17:43want to do is to be able to give our

4:17:47students what they deserve and they all

4:17:50deserve it. Like you said, you heard

4:17:52them today or we are so proud of our

4:17:56kids. They they are so bright. You heard

4:18:00them. your reference how articulate and

4:18:02they know the issues.

4:18:04>> They know the issues that we are facing.

4:18:07They know the pattern that we have been

4:18:10dealing with as it relates to

4:18:13underfunding.

4:18:14Many of them you heard them talk about

4:18:16it tonight. They know the realities on

4:18:18the ground. They live it every single

4:18:20day.

4:18:21The plan that I will bring you is going

4:18:23to continue to be the plan that I put

4:18:26forth where with the with the help of

4:18:28CFO Hernandez and the entire team that

4:18:31we're saying we are operating a district

4:18:34of this size

4:18:37with the core essentials of what it

4:18:41takes to run a district this size. And

4:18:44this is the amount that is needed to run

4:18:47in 2026.

4:18:48And in addition to that that to address

4:18:51the facilities issue in addition to that

4:18:54that we're saying we're going to bring

4:18:55before you

4:18:57how we want to organize to ensure that

4:19:01we're building the layers of

4:19:02accountability and monitoring because in

4:19:06that building as soon as somebody says

4:19:09I'm going to use the example of the girl

4:19:10that said I went to the bathroom

4:19:11somebody had bondage right

4:19:14>> it should be hey there's over there

4:19:16somebody should be able to go

4:19:17immediately do do the cleanup. Do the

4:19:21cleanup, right? But there has to be that

4:19:24level of staffing available to

4:19:27troubleshoot everything that is

4:19:28happening in that building and that they

4:19:31can become the experts in that building.

4:19:34How can you have one person become the

4:19:36expert of 39 facilities?

4:19:40It is impossible, right? Something is

4:19:42going to get missed. So that is the type

4:19:44of structure that we again working in

4:19:46collaboration with the city that we want

4:19:48to be able to to bring to you to say

4:19:52we want to bring up the maintenance in

4:19:53our buildings for kids to serve them. We

4:19:56are working on the capital one through

4:19:57the all the grants that we continue to

4:19:59do. Um but that's what is going to take.

4:20:03So the the answer is that that is what

4:20:05is going today. And I know that um I

4:20:09think it was you Alder Miller that at

4:20:11one point you asked the panel, well what

4:20:13is it? Like give me the honest answer.

4:20:16What is it? How are we going to fix it?

4:20:19And I want to echo um what the panelist

4:20:23said that it is going to be

4:20:26money, resources, materials so that we

4:20:30can bring about again this internal

4:20:31structure that's going to bring the

4:20:34accountability that we have not had.

4:20:37My last question, I promise.

4:20:39>> Yes, I'm tired.

4:20:41Why? Why why did it take this long to

4:20:44realize that we were so deep into the

4:20:48schools being so deteriorated and

4:20:50needing this help?

4:20:52>> I think we have been articulating

4:20:55uh that at least since I've been here

4:20:57I've been articulating

4:20:59that challenge since my arrival and I

4:21:03know that Dr. White you've been here

4:21:04longer. I know it was something that

4:21:06every CF every um um COO has referenced

4:21:10like we have the magnitude of this

4:21:12situation. This is what we have to deal

4:21:16with. I don't believe it's something new

4:21:18of people saying oh no like we didn't

4:21:20realize how bad how bad it was.

4:21:23>> No. No. A lot of people have felt that

4:21:24this has been going on for a long time

4:21:26which is really disturbing to me. Um,

4:21:29but I guess what I you know

4:21:36I'll leave it at that.

4:21:39>> Thank you. Alder Miller and then Alder

4:21:41Ser.

4:21:45>> Um, thank thank you for staying late and

4:21:47for all the information and and the hard

4:21:49work. I just want to acknowledge that

4:21:50you you really do have the most

4:21:52difficult jobs in the city, I think, and

4:21:54um appreciate you trying to trying to

4:21:57work it through. Um I just want to make

4:21:59sure I understand. So the ABM contract

4:22:02ends tomorrow. Is that correct?

4:22:04>> Yes.

4:22:05>> So what happens on Thursday? Who do we

4:22:08call who who do who do people call for

4:22:11support on Thursday?

4:22:14Thursday the part some of the times

4:22:17they'll be calling the asset manager

4:22:19sometimes it'll be me the names will be

4:22:21going out for everyone to reach out to

4:22:24and then we still have our trades we

4:22:27still have our

4:22:30um contractors all these people right

4:22:34now um I'm managing that piece of

4:22:37getting triaging helping with the

4:22:40triaging getting things out

4:22:41>> you are one human.

4:22:43>> Exactly. And that's

4:22:45>> amazing given.

4:22:46>> Yeah. One human. So, so how many people

4:22:49when the contract ends tomorrow, how

4:22:52many people are no longer working with

4:22:55New Haven public schools?

4:22:57>> In the management side, it is four

4:23:00people who are no longer here. Uh the

4:23:03other positions were the building

4:23:05managers and assistant build. Some of

4:23:07those I have transitioned over to

4:23:11>> So how many people that um we have

4:23:14tomorrow on Wednesday that we won't have

4:23:16on Thursday?

4:23:21>> Two

4:23:22because of Yes. Because the it'll be the

4:23:25person who acts as the director and

4:23:28it'll be uh the person who has been

4:23:31acting as the assistant director. or we

4:23:34are bringing someone over from ABM that

4:23:38actually did did do a good work.

4:23:42>> So you've hired

4:23:43>> Yes.

4:23:44>> those come through the blue sheets or

4:23:45not? Yeah.

4:23:46>> One uh one is waiting for just the their

4:23:50full clearance. But

4:23:51>> I didn't know it was

4:23:54>> management. These were management

4:23:56positions.

4:23:57That was part of that was one of the

4:23:59things and the contract was all

4:24:01management plus the building managers

4:24:04for the three big buildings and

4:24:06assistant building managers.

4:24:09>> Okay. Well, that's somewhat reassuring.

4:24:10I thought it was much much bigger gap

4:24:12than that.

4:24:13>> Um then my other question is about

4:24:15December. We've had all these different

4:24:18versions of what's going to happen in

4:24:20December. we're going to have an RFP for

4:24:22a plan or we're going to have the plan

4:24:23finished or so what and and I realize

4:24:27there's other factors. You're working

4:24:28with city staff. You don't control

4:24:29everything, but what is the intent for

4:24:32what is going to be in place in by the

4:24:35end of December in terms of the the

4:24:38system as a whole?

4:24:40>> So,

4:24:42so we'll still be hiring staff above you

4:24:45talking about relate to the master plan.

4:24:48Yeah, I think the master plan, but also

4:24:50the, you know, ongoing work like where

4:24:54we're going to be in terms of sticking

4:24:56>> systemwide.

4:24:58>> At that point, we should be staffed up.

4:25:02Um,

4:25:03well, once we present positions, we have

4:25:05to determine which ones are civil

4:25:08service or uh executive management and

4:25:11we're subject to those processes. But in

4:25:14terms of the ones that we originally

4:25:16identified as positions they want or

4:25:18anything, they'll all be filled by that

4:25:20point.

4:25:21>> Okay. And in terms of the plan is the

4:25:24plan.

4:25:25>> Yes, I get your question. So I get your

4:25:27question.

4:25:27>> Yeah.

4:25:28>> Um the intent was you said December

4:25:3331st. Actually you didn't say Hogan said

4:25:36can we have it by December 31st. Um

4:25:39Perkins Eastman is the contractor that

4:25:42is now on board to finish up that piece.

4:25:47That is um who we are engaging to be

4:25:49able to bring forward like here are the

4:25:52more of the long-term

4:25:54recommendations in terms of district as

4:25:58a whole. Most immediate though is this

4:26:01new plan of maintenance with the uh need

4:26:04for the different internal uh personnel

4:26:07that will be needed that we will come to

4:26:09you to say we need support to be able to

4:26:12bring this about. That's the most

4:26:14immediate

4:26:14>> and as we get to this master plan

4:26:16actually part of this next phase does

4:26:20involve meeting with you the alders

4:26:23meeting within the community as as

4:26:26putting together fast. So this isn't

4:26:29something that's happening this next

4:26:30phase. It doesn't happen in a vacuum.

4:26:32>> Okay. And that that's going to happen

4:26:34over the fall.

4:26:36>> Yes.

4:26:36>> Okay.

4:26:37>> So the idea is by the end of December

4:26:40there will be a master plan in place and

4:26:43that's it. No more that's the plan. No

4:26:44more plans after that.

4:26:46There should be no more plannings after

4:26:48that.

4:26:50Right. Exactly. And for then and then be

4:26:54at a place where we have to make

4:26:56decisions to how are we going to get to

4:26:59the goals in that 10year plan and what

4:27:01does that mean? And that's that's the

4:27:03real real conversation as well as what

4:27:06the real cost of 30 years of deferred

4:27:10maintenance is.

4:27:12>> Okay. Um it's just one other follow

4:27:15which is you know I see this and I I I

4:27:18know this is true but it's also like

4:27:22it's the job of administration to say we

4:27:25need that other column and to have come

4:27:26to us three four however many years ago

4:27:30to say and not you weren't in this role

4:27:31but to like to just announce to the city

4:27:36that we're not doing what we should be

4:27:38doing. It's not the city's it's not our

4:27:40fault. It's nobody nobody asked us for

4:27:42this. So, we're saying if this is what

4:27:45you need, if you need the the full

4:27:47funding for like ask for it so that we

4:27:50can approve it.

4:27:52>> I appreciate that. Um

4:27:57>> Yeah, I appreciate that. Let me not say

4:27:59because I I don't have the record to

4:28:01call like who who have we made the um

4:28:04>> I don't Yeah, I mean I you know we don't

4:28:06request to

4:28:07>> we don't want to underfund this. We want

4:28:08to fund this, but we can't fund it if it

4:28:11doesn't get presented to us.

4:28:13>> Um,

4:28:15I think that's it for me for this

4:28:17evening.

4:28:17>> Thank you, Alder Miller. Alder Srano.

4:28:20>> Yes. So, um, good evening.

4:28:23>> Congratulations on your first committee

4:28:25question, by the way.

4:28:27>> Thank you [applause] for allowing me to

4:28:29[cheering] ask questions. Dr. Nebron,

4:28:31Dr. White, and everybody who stayed here

4:28:32so late. And uh um I think that uh I

4:28:37most of the questions actually I wanted

4:28:39to ask were asked by uh Alder Miller but

4:28:43I think I would like to focus on a

4:28:44solution. I was really very proud of the

4:28:46students who came up here and being

4:28:49heard and they really appreciated that

4:28:51they were validated with what they were

4:28:53experiencing in their schools and of

4:28:55course the teachers. But at least for

4:28:57the teachers we have the NHFT recording

4:28:59and and documenting everything with

4:29:02photos. But I was wondering if there's a

4:29:05way for the B board of ed to actually

4:29:09have something like what the LCI is

4:29:11doing where students parents can can

4:29:15register or fill out whatever their

4:29:17complaints that they're having and that

4:29:20can be actually also publicly seen that

4:29:24you know parents are having these

4:29:26problems in this particular school and

4:29:28that this is being acted upon by certain

4:29:30people because we cannot always be here.

4:29:33We cannot have board of ed board of

4:29:35others meeting with with you and them

4:29:38coming here in so late. So that every

4:29:40time you know it's a different feeling

4:29:42when you're being heard. It's a

4:29:43different feeling when you have access

4:29:45to some sort of place of authority that

4:29:47they feel they're being uh acted upon

4:29:51and that would be a job for the

4:29:53communications person.

4:29:56And to address some of that, um, we have

4:29:59been brainstorming, right? Could we ever

4:30:02get into a space where there could be

4:30:05like a public dashboard, right? Um,

4:30:09again to increase the level of

4:30:11transparency.

4:30:13I mean, those are conversations. Again,

4:30:15we're only like brainstorming right now

4:30:16because of that comes at a cost. Um, but

4:30:19again, we we are interested in again

4:30:21transparency and and building building

4:30:24trust.

4:30:26Thank you.

4:30:27>> One more question though. I think it's

4:30:29it's I don't know how important it is,

4:30:31but I was wondering what mechanisms were

4:30:33put in place to oversee ABM uh their

4:30:37contract and the way they were doing

4:30:39doing their jobs and were there sort of

4:30:42documentation of how they were

4:30:45performing. And so I don't know if it's

4:30:48in fact a correct question. I I'm new

4:30:50here. I was just wondering if there was

4:30:51some sort of over oversight over their

4:30:55contract or what they were doing.

4:30:59>> Their contract was primarily for the

4:31:02people. So, uh as long as these things

4:31:06were provided

4:31:08um we try to work on looking at

4:31:12decisions are made and where where money

4:31:16was going and things like that. And

4:31:18that's part of what brought the decision

4:31:20to have have this coming tonight. So

4:31:22that again increased accountability of

4:31:26one who's managing our city staff as

4:31:30well as uh accountability that more

4:31:34better accountability controls that we

4:31:36have as over employees

4:31:40versus a vendor.

4:31:42>> Okay. Thank you. Okay, Miller, you have

4:31:44another question.

4:31:45>> One final final for me and I'll pass it

4:31:47to you. So, I just wanted to get your

4:31:48feedback on an idea that has come up

4:31:50multiple times for some kind of a jobs

4:31:53program for young people. We have young

4:31:55people, high school students, building

4:31:56boats, learning to fix cars, using

4:32:00printing machines, all these things in

4:32:01our schools. And we know we have a a

4:32:05challenge. And so could we what what do

4:32:08you think about having some kind of a

4:32:10training program for young people in the

4:32:12trades so that are the students are

4:32:15learning to fix the schools?

4:32:16>> Same as you asked last time. Yes,

4:32:18absolutely. Uh it it it will it will

4:32:22work to just iron out some things but

4:32:25again it is it is one of the things that

4:32:28is on the on the doc that we will do.

4:32:31>> I I just to say I think that would be

4:32:34exciting. [clears throat] It would be It

4:32:36would be a win-win and

4:32:38>> absolutely because it'll be again uh we

4:32:41want to we've we've moved into an age of

4:32:44engaging students in a variety of ways.

4:32:47Um manufacturing is just a slight

4:32:50different form of the work that's done

4:32:52to for carpentry. [clears throat] And

4:32:55when you break it down to its most basic

4:32:57elements, obviously there's so much more

4:32:59that goes into high-tech manufacturing,

4:33:01but again, conceptually, it's the same

4:33:04type of work and sorting in one can lead

4:33:06to the other.

4:33:07>> Yeah. You make a living as a plumber,

4:33:09you can make a technician.

4:33:12>> Exactly.

4:33:12>> So, so you know, I think there's

4:33:14[laughter] lots of [clears throat] lots

4:33:16of upside.

4:33:18>> Thank you, Al Miller. Alden theater.

4:33:21>> Thank you. One last question. Thank you

4:33:22guys for your answers and I there's been

4:33:26a lot of things that excite me and give

4:33:28me more hope tonight. Um I wanted to

4:33:30check in about the status of bonding and

4:33:32grant applications. I think President

4:33:34Blato raised this point of like you know

4:33:36NFT is putting in three grievances a

4:33:39day. I know I'm sure these are longer

4:33:43applications but have we applied for

4:33:46anything new since the start of school?

4:33:48And if so,

4:33:49>> no, that's where I spoke about we we've

4:33:53we engaged to get the next set the next

4:33:56uh four schools the designs done for

4:33:59those because that we have to have that

4:34:02first bring that to that presents a real

4:34:05cause and then that's when we come to

4:34:07you to say yeah example of hell house um

4:34:13it's going to cost $8.7 million

4:34:1723% will have to come from the city.

4:34:20>> Okay.

4:34:20>> So, this this is the Hill House Cross

4:34:23we've been hearing about.

4:34:24>> Right. Right. That's

4:34:25>> everything else in motion besides those

4:34:28>> Oh, no. That's what's on the design for

4:34:30the next four rooms.

4:34:32>> Fair.

4:34:33>> Fair Haven

4:34:36looking at HSC

4:34:38and I believe I I'd have to

4:34:42>> theater to unpack that, right? We have

4:34:45in order for us to apply,

4:34:47we have to make sure that the designs

4:34:50are done and and basically estimate a

4:34:54cost. All of that is required before we

4:34:56submit these applications to the state

4:34:58when they come around

4:34:59>> as well as the commitment, right? As

4:35:02well as the commitment uh sign

4:35:04commitment from the board that from the

4:35:07city side that this money would come.

4:35:09>> Okay. So, you're saying that there are

4:35:10three in the works and then

4:35:11>> three three of the projects active. for

4:35:14the four in the works.

4:35:15>> Yes.

4:35:16>> Okay.

4:35:17>> Thank you.

4:35:18>> Any other committee members have

4:35:19questions?

4:35:20>> I have a very short couple of short

4:35:22ones. Um and just you may not be able to

4:35:26get me these now, but I can get them

4:35:27through the chair. Um do you currently

4:35:29know how many buildings are under

4:35:31firewatch?

4:35:35>> Not at the moment. I

4:35:37>> So if I could get that from you.

4:35:42>> Well, through me. Yes, I don't have any,

4:35:46but I don't want to say absolute

4:35:49without.

4:35:50>> I think there's something else.

4:35:52>> Um, and the other question I had was

4:35:55about contracts. Um,

4:35:58we've seen a lot of stuff over the last

4:36:00few years with

4:36:02contractors and subcontractors. Um,

4:36:04going forward, like especially with like

4:36:06the plowing stuff that happened last

4:36:08year where we had schools that were

4:36:09supposed to be plowed and never got

4:36:11done. going forward in any contracts,

4:36:13are we going to put in clawback

4:36:14provisions? So, if people aren't doing

4:36:16the job correctly, we can get some some

4:36:18of that fund funding back. Are we

4:36:21consider putting clawback provisions in

4:36:23some of these contracts, these larger

4:36:25contracts?

4:36:25>> We'd like to get to that point. Right

4:36:27now, we've reigned. The snow contracts

4:36:31are out for this year. spin weaving um

4:36:35more about expectations and how many

4:36:38times people would have to come back

4:36:40out, but also because we did increase

4:36:42the budget, we've been able to go beyond

4:36:45the small contractor

4:36:47uh development program. So, we should be

4:36:51able to get larger companies that could

4:36:54do the work that make sure that have

4:36:56capacity.

4:36:59>> Okay,

4:37:00that's all I have. Um there's no other

4:37:03questions. Any comments?

4:37:06Since we have no voting items, a motion

4:37:09to adjurnn is appropriate.

4:37:10>> Move to journ.

4:37:15>> All in favor going home.

4:37:17>> We are journ.

4:37:19>> Thank you guys. Thank you guys for

4:37:21coming.

4:37:22>> Thank you.

4:37:24>> We also have to be at work early.

4:37:26>> What are you working What do you work in

4:37:28a school or something?

4:37:28>> We also have to be at work early.

4:37:30>> Yeah.

4:37:36in the morning.

4:37:41>> Dr. John, I got my acupuncture without

4:37:43powers at 7 a.m.

4:37:47>> I don't know where I'd be without these

4:37:48guys over there.

4:37:56Am I

4:38:01>> there? They really

4:38:20>> Thanks for sticking out.

4:38:23>> Sure. Okay.

4:38:38It's just a workshop, right?

4:38:44>> Okay. Leave it open.

4:38:53>> Thank you for

4:39:03I can't hear anything.

4:39:06I don't have everything else.

4:39:08>> I think there's one other

4:39:13>> Yeah, I don't have a picture.

4:39:23So it'll also be uploaded as an

4:39:25attachment to items.

4:39:39>> Can I help you?

4:39:40>> No, no.

4:39:42go back there

4:39:44while while they're still getting

4:40:06I mean there's people by the committee

4:40:09whether to Listen, man. You got up 16

4:40:13times.

4:40:14>> Wait, but you could have gone.

4:40:17>> I was supposed to be there after

4:40:19meeting.

4:40:20>> No, that's not how it works. It's there

4:40:22for when you want. It's not for

4:40:30>> now.

4:40:32Put it away.

4:40:39>> It's got the vegetarian ones. That's all

4:40:40that's left.

4:40:48>> People going to run in here and take

4:40:49food. I would grab

4:41:16All

4:41:45right.

4:41:46in let's

4:41:50just back

4:41:59we just had this conversation about

4:42:01being a social we can do all this

4:42:03progressive stuff but we have to keep

4:42:05those those safe nets in place to

4:42:07protect all the progress that we're

4:42:09making

4:42:09>> yes

4:42:09>> police and prison

4:42:12work you know not everybody is

4:42:19I work in violence. I evil in the eyes.

4:42:24Especially

4:42:29those

4:42:41>> so

4:42:52that's the problem.

4:42:56I said, "How do you listen?" I remember

4:42:58before you came and I all

4:43:05the

4:43:09how bad

4:43:15you should let me. Why? Cuz your son

4:43:29[sighs]

4:43:30should be on here, right?

4:43:502018

4:43:52crosses

4:43:55[snorts]

4:44:07away.

4:44:10You can't rehabilitate

4:44:27Certain prayers

4:44:53>> [clears throat]

4:45:04[snorts]

4:45:07>> We didn't let these

4:45:16lay down on the street next to

4:45:37the one guy

4:45:39does Right.

4:45:57[snorts]

4:45:58What do you think?

4:46:04What do you do? [clears throat]

4:46:08>> All right.

4:46:10Yeah,

4:46:13I'll blame

4:46:15her.

4:46:16I call her guys. Get home safely.

4:46:26>> Oh man.

4:46:35Right. [laughter]

4:46:37>> I appreciate that.

4:46:39Do you hear it? You go. Yes. Okay.

4:46:51Perfect. Perfect. All right.

4:46:54So, now

4:46:57wait for the exciting legislation

4:46:59committee meeting tomorrow.

```*