Timing, Like Location, Is Everything

Take a few minutes to read our two previous posts to get an inkling of what is transpiring on the Warburg campus. Specifically, Greenburgh Schools Superintendent Chase sent out a letter via email (so not everyone has received it), that highlights “several areas of concern” about the building referred to as the “Mansion” and its structural integrity. The Mansion houses the Board of Education administration and several early childhood program classrooms. The Superintendent claims that their architectural firm CSARCH, confirmed the Mansion is unsafe for students and staff to be in. Here’s a link to the letter and the CSARCH memo she sent out:

https://www.greenburghcsd.org/site/default.aspx?PageType=3&DomainID=536&ModuleInstanceID=321&ViewID=6446EE88-D30C-497E-9316-3F8874B3E108&RenderLoc=0&FlexDataID=9745&PageID=3250

There are accompanying pictures with the brief report that appear to have been faxed using equipment from the early 1980s. In one picture there is an arrow pointing to an exterior window that says “deteriorated plaster ceiling”. In another, an arrow points to another window that says Suspended ACT ceiling. What are they really showing in these pictures? See below.

In total, this memo from CSARCH includes four points of concern covering the condition of the building. Our initial reaction regarding this newfound concern was why this was ignored until two business days before school reopens? The School Board, already suffering from a poor reputation with the community after they misled the taxpayers through omission regarding the School District Bond Vote in March, should have been all over this. But they weren’t. Why not?

In fact, we visited the Mansion the day after the school board meeting and found Dr Chase in her car outside where scene-tape prohibited entry. There was a brief exchange. When asked why she waited to expose this issue until now, she said it was known and in the original bond. It wasn’t in the $114 million-dollar bond, nor the previous bond for $166 million-dollars. We pointed out that they removed the Woodlands HS $47 million-dollars repairs from the $166 to get to the $114 million. She stated it was in the original $198 million bond. However, we know that the initial bond proposition was never offered to the public. It was shot down internally because of the prohibitive price tag. When asked if anyone was still in the building (it was about 5PM), she stated she was the last one out. A few more words were exchanged before she drove off.

Walking around the building and unable to gain entry (not that we would enter an unsafe structure), we could see through the windows that there were lights and computers still turned on throughout the building. Here’s two pictures of an office that had all of the lights on and it’s difficult to see but the clock on the wall says it’s about eight or nine minutes after five PM. We found several other rooms similarly lit up. Likewise, there was another room with a computer still on. Dangerous? Uninhabitable? C’mon.

Returning the following day, around noon on Friday, we found two gentlemen working inside one of the classrooms! After identifying ourselves, we asked why they were in there if the building was unsafe to be occupied as stated by Dr Chase to the School Board and the letter she subsequently sent out? They said they didn’t know about that, but they were just following orders from their boss to remove equipment. When asked if they believed their boss had their safety in mind when according to Dr Chase the building is unsafe for children and staff, they reiterated they were following orders. Perhaps a visit by PESH* is in order?

The information provided to Dr Chase and Mary O’Neill from CSARCH only addressed four supposed hazardous conditions. After the way taxpayers were treated by Dr Chase and the Board with the $114 million Bond initiative they were pushing, we believe they may be sensationalizing the gravity of the structural issues. There is nothing in the CSARCH report indicating that the entire building is unsafe for habitation. Their recommendation regarding the classrooms was to remove part of the acoustic ceiling tile ceiling so that the plaster ceiling on the other side could be inspected. The exterior issues could be quickly addressed by closing off the stairs to the playground to allow for repairs and entering from a different place. Was there a verbal communication that differs from the memorandum as written? Is this information “different” from the original 2015 Building Condition Survey?

We believe the reason the issues in the Mansion were brought up now is as a strategic move by Dr Chase and a select group of the School Board members in order to to revive the never-dead-never-ending consolidation bond once again. They’ve been setting all of their ducks in a row to get to this point.

Dr Chase mentioned the company Thought Exchange (.com) during the last School Board meeting. They are a well-known company whose job is to create surveys for a school district and formulate a plan(s) to get bonds approved in school districts. This company has been discussed before by the Board and the company even held a webinar with the Board.

Bringing up Thought Exchange and making an announcement about an unfit building both coincide with the renewal of the contract for a Public Relations company, making us incredibly suspect about ulterior motives. Watch your mailboxes for a letter that should arrive on Tuesday or so from the Superintendent reiterating all of this. If our suspicion proves out to be true, shame on all of them. If we allow this bond referendum to happen again, shame on us. The taxpayers must clean house and get this school district back on track! We have to do it for the kids and it’ll make for A Better Greenburgh School District.

* PESH (Public Employee Safety & Health) is the public sector equivalent of OSHA.

Greenburgh School Mansion To Close, Unfit For Occupancy

In a stunning change of direction, it was announced at last night’s Board of Education meeting that the “Mansion” as it’s referred to on the Warburg campus, was not structurally sound and should not have anyone working in it. According to Dr Chase, this was just brought to her attention late yesterday afternoon and the mansion would be not occupied today. But we’ve been told that they are still using the building. So is it not that bad or is it? What’s the truth? When asked at last evenings meeting if she had shared the condition information with anyone else, Dr Chase answered she had not. So, after the Bond vote in March, and the stunning 2-to-1 defeat, the Board and Dr Chase all said they needed to do a better job of communicating with the electorate. They’re not off to a good start.

Rumors abound about the district. We heard after the bond vote in March that the Board was positioning itself to do another consolidation bond vote. Dr Chase mentioned the company Thought Exchange (.com) during last night’s meeting. They are a well-known company whose job is to create surveys for a school district and formulate a plan(s) to get bonds approved in school districts. This company has been discussed before by the Board and even held a webinar with the Board. So bringing up Thought Exchange and making an announcement about an unfit building coincides with the renewal of the contract and associated fee increase that was on the original agenda for a Public Relations company, making us wonder what else might be going on?

It was said that CS Arch architectural firm will provide an estimate for the repair work required for the mansion. This building was included in the 2016 Buildings Condition Survey which reported that it required $6.8 million in repairs. Why was this not announced or reported on sooner or during the Bond Road show while we were being told about the poor conditions of the other buildings? It seemed as though anything that could possibly need a repair was thrown on the list. Except the mansion.

Our understanding is that there are about 28 (or so) employees in the building. They will no doubt be relocating those employees from the mansion elsewhere. There are three  classrooms of early childhood program children that will need to be relocated. It is thought that they will go to the Lee F Jackson school at the start of the school year.

The nagging question for us is the timing of all of this?

If there are structural issues at the mansion, let's certainly get them fixed. Ultimately, however, it's our fault for allowing the Board to operate the way they have for these past many years. We seem to keep coming back to the same questions that were repeatedly asked during the Bond Roadshow: Why were these needed repairs ignored and how much more will this now cost us due to the Boards negligence? The public deserves better and should demand better. But if we do, it's also up to us to follow up to ensure they follow what the community mandates. It will make for A Better Greenburgh School District.