How is it possible that when Aramark, (who controls the maintenance of the entire district), receives a phone call from the alarm company, we as managers are instructed to not call an employee to check out the situation, but to place the system on test for the rest of the night until our shift begins in the morning? This is done because workers would get 3 hours of overtime automatically if they were called. So to avoid these overtime charges, Aramark places the system on test. Records can be checked to match Alarm Company calls to actual maintenance staff checking out the problem. I feel this is a very dangerous situation to our children.
Explain to me how a board member, Diane Leahan, is still serving on the board when her own family member stole a trailer from the District, which is all on tape and in a police report with the police department. This was hushed by the school district because of up coming elections and embarrassment.
The workers of William Penn are forced to work out of a condemned building, (the old Abel Building) at quarry street which has been vacant and condemned after Hurricane Floyd destroyed it several years ago. Mold can clearly be seen on the walls, and the District pays a phenomenal $6000 a month in rent as well as utility bills for the place.
Many of the schools have chained, unsafe, or non-working fire doors. If a student were killed in a blaze, this would be when the district explored this? The district is well aware of this situation, but again, nothing gets done.
Many of the employees would not pass the FBI clearance that was put into effect, yet the District continues to hire people that have criminal backgrounds, and/or unknown backgrounds. Only recently have they started checking this a little more thoroughly.
Many of the doorways, stage areas, and fire exits are blocked with items that should not be there in case a fire breaks out.
Security does not exist in many of the buildings, and exterior doors are often left open for anyone to walk in and do whatever to the children.
Playground equipment is not safe, not up to code. They have unqualified people checking the equipment.
Every single building has several leaks in its roof, which causes mold and mildew everywhere. The solution by the school district and Aramark is to simply change ceiling tiles and cover the leaks and mold.
Asbestos floor tiles are present in many buildings, especially in Bell Avenue School where the entire 2nd floor was replaced last year, but the school district did not want to pay to have the 1st floor done. The boiler room is filled with asbestos pipes.
Fire codes, dangerous situations and many other harmful events are simply brushed under the table because CEO Joe Otto simply makes a phone call to the local council and has it forgotten.
Last year, the Chester/Penn Wood High School Basketball game at the High School was oversold by a few hundred tickets, causing a riot and police presence at 10 O’clock at night because the people that paid were not let into the building even though they had tickets. Whatever did happen to the extra money?
Aramark is paid around $310,000 a year for their services of the maintenance and grounds department, but now after my departure, there are only 2 managers at this location. Taxpayers may question why they are paying an outside group $310,000 for 2 managers that cannot do anything hands on. Is this cheaper than hiring a person that works for the school at around $35,000? This does not include what they pay Aramark for food services. Aramark promised a maintenance program, and a more efficient department seven years ago, but neither has been installed. In fact, the school district has not even renewed Aramark’s contract as of yet.
The superintendent has made it publicly known that he wants out, by applying for three other positions in the past seven months.
The Bell Ave school had 2-3 fire alarms last year due to ballast catching on fire. The Fire Chief said to have all wiring redone before opening, but this was not done. Many times, a ballast smokes or sparks or catches on fire in the classrooms, causing an evacuation, but what happens when a child gets trapped and cannot get out? Will the school finally be shut down until its safe?
More overtime is paid to employees of this school district than any other school district in Pennsylvania.
Many of the door closers that are supposed to automatically close and lock the door behind someone do not work. The District says it spent enough on lock repairs, but this is not acceptable.
With a grounds crew and equipment, the maintenance department still hires outside contractors to cut many of the schools, which in my opinion is a total waste of school funds.
The boiler rooms in most of these schools are accidents waiting to happen. If your child were injured from these harmful and dangerous incidents, maybe then the school district would have them checked?
In my year of service as Maintenance Manager, I was asked to hush on the following when I asked about them:
- An Isis program that Aramark promised years ago that never happened because of its costs.
- Freezers going down and Managers being told to put the system on test until the next work day. This food was then served to the kids, with the explanation that the freezer or fridge maintained its temperature.
- Unrecorded time off by Managers
- One employee that mixed Bleach with another cleaning chemical and almost died.
- Hundreds of master keys that open all schools are un-accounted for.
- Many of the schools fire alarms are not tied in with the fire department.
- No schools have knock boxes for emergency keys for firemen.
- Classroom doors in most schools do not lock down properly.
- Not one of the schools has proper MSDS sheets available, and most don’t even know what they are.
- Blue prints are not updated
- Not all schools do monthly fire escape test.
- Escape gates through windows are locked or not working.
