By Dan Murphy
Paideia School 15 in Yonkers, one of the newest schools in the Yonkers Public Schools, was closed last week after ceiling tiles tested positive for mold. Now that the abatement of the mold is nearly complete, a leaking roof that will require repairs and will mean the school will be closed for a longer period of time.
The Board of Education and Superintendent Dr. Edwin Quezada are weighing their options, which include a quick repair of the roof or a longer replacement, which would result in the 660 students and staff attending classes elsewhere.
“Adelaide Environmental and NSC have completed air sampling at School 15,” said Mayor Mike Spano. “Today, the superintendent and Board of Education were informed that the building is cleared and is safe for our children to re-enter. Now that the building has been deemed safe, it is under repairs, and the roof will be replaced… My number-one priority is to have the school open as soon as possible and to work with the Board of Education and the superintendent to ensure it happens soon. Parents, I know this is a difficult time. Please know I, along with the school district, are working diligently to have our kids back in their school.”
Initially, Paideia explained that students in grades five through eight were sent to Roosevelt High School. That decision drew opposition from parents who did not want their younger students learning at a high school.
Now fifth- through eighth-grade students are going to St. Bartholomew School at 278 Saw Mill River Road, thanks to an agreement reached between the YPS and the Archdiocese of New York. St. Bart’s was closed and empty, and the school district has been negotiating purchasing the school for YPS use.
“We are extremely grateful to the New York Archdiocese for accommodating our students as the district manages the mold remediation at Paideia School 15,” said Quezada. “We will continue to communicate directly with the school’s parents on the transition and provide updates as they become available.”
K-4 Paideia students are attending Robert Dodson School.
Yonkers Federation of Teachers President Samantha Rosado-Ciriello said air quality testing will be done at School 15 and other schools in the district. Cirello echoed the comments of many educators, parents and elected officials after the mold was uncovered, saying, “Our schools are very old and they’re in dire need of funding for infrastructure.”
One concern is that Paideia School 15 is only 20 years old, while some Yonkers schools are more than 100 years old. “Time and time again, Gov. Andrew Cuomo says one thing and does another,” said Councilman John Rubbo. “We demand that he increase our school construction rate to the same level as Buffalo. Yonkers is below 70 percent and Buffalo is at 98 percent. Our Yonkers Public Schools students should not be worrying about their school building and should spend their time on their studies.”
“There is no reason for our Yonkers Public Schools students to be put in a situation where they need to worry more about their learning environment and not their academics,” added Spano. “The latest example is School 15’s much-needed repairs, and putting a Band-Aid on a recurring issue is not the answer. Yonkers needs New York State to do what they’ve done for Rochester, Buffalo, and Syracuse – help rebuild our schools. It’s our turn!”
