Last week I shared with you the conditions found at Gladewater Middle School. This week I want to bring to light the condition and needs of Broadway Elementary.
This campus houses our 2nd and 3rd grade students. I can undoubtedly say this campus, has some of the sweetest, most talented teachers I have ever met, just as I have found at the other campuses. Not only does the buildings and maintenance do an amazing job of patching and covering issues in these 80+ year old buildings, but our teachers go above and beyond to make their classrooms bright, cheery and inviting. Whether it's hanging a picture here to cover peeling paint, move a cabinet here to hide a foundation crack from floor to ceiling, or making homemade curtains to cover a termite damaged window. Here at Broadway Elementary, I found not only some of the same physical conditions of the building, but I also found a school that is near inaccessible to a child with special needs. I tour this campus as a parent concerned for their healthy child's well being and education, but also as the parent of a child with special needs.
Since I had a child that went here just a few short years ago, I know unlike GMS, this campus does not have an elevator, so I showed up with a wheelchair so I could better understand the accessibility challenges. We parked out front and went up the only area we could find on the curb out front we could get a wheelchair up.
We headed down this long walkway trying to get access to the school.
At the end of the walkway we were met with more stairs. Remember, this campus was built in the 30's, way before the thought of mainstreaming children with special needs.
We headed around the side of the building. Maybe we will have more luck around there.
Ahh, there we go. Finally a wheelchair ramp.
It looked a little steep to me, so my husband volunteered, agreed to try to wheel himself up the ramp.
Right before this picture, he started to topple over and grabbed the railing as to save himself from falling backwards. He quickly found out due to the grade of the incline, he had to lean drastically forward to keep from turning over backwards.
He hit this hump in the ramp and I couldn't even push him over it.
Since he couldn't get over the hump, he decided to pick the chair up and move it over the uneven area. Of course, this wouldn't be a possibility with a child with special needs.
By this time he is starting to sweat, but the end is in sight. Just a few more feet.
Is it just me or does that door look too narrow for a wheelchair?
We finally got up to the back of the school, only to find out our standard size wheelchair would not fit through the door. They did tell us there was another wheelchair accessible point at the opposite end of the school, but by this point we were hot, tired and were afraid we would run out of daylight hours at this rate.
So this is where we parked our wheelchair and went on in the building.
We started our tour in the basement. Although this is the cleanest basement I have ever seen, there was standing water. The staff said there is always standing water.
There is open window area in the basement to control the growth of mold and mildew. Even though there are metal grates above this area, critters still manage to find their way in. I was informed that a dead possum was found down here and the skull resides in one of the classrooms upstairs. Way to turn lemons into lemonade, Broadway teachers.
Well, that looks sketchy. The deterioration here in the basement most likely stems from foundation issues common in a building nearly a century old.
Here you can see water leaks, as well as mold from the damp conditions in the basement.
Here you can see crumbling of the support of the structure.
We ascended from the bowels of Broadway to find much of the same conditions found at GMS. Here we find all three of the most prevalent issues. Mold, mildew and cracks.
In this photo you will not only notice peeling paint but also you can see that there are several different types of tile. The staff shared that tiles are constantly falling off the walls. This can be contributed most likely to two causes. The foundation issues and moisture in the walls. As the building moves, cracks form in the walls. The pressure from this would force tiles to pop out of place. The moisture is caused by constant leaks and standing water.
Here you can see walls that have been damaged by water, mold that has been treated and returns. You can also see the variation of tiles as they are replaced constantly.
More cracks and peeling paint.
This dragon is attempting to hide a large crack.
Here is the possum skull and tooth found in the basement. Way to find a teachable moment, ladies.
This particular room is not in use because of safety concerns. When we walked in we quickly could see the floor was sagging drastically in the center of the room. I too would be concerned the weight of a class would cause the room to buckle more and eventually collapse.
Here we find a tape dispenser holding a door closed. The settling makes it impossible to close the door.
More pressure cracks and peeling paint.
Storage is virtually no existent. Here we find a homemade storage system in the hallway hidden by a shower curtain to house classroom supplies.
More peeling paint. Keep in mind, the campus was painted fresh before school started.
We left the building and went out to the gym where we found some more asbestos caulking.
The gym has glass windows. When balls hit this windows they shatter and are not tempered glass. As they break they are replaced with plexi glass.
We found foundation cracks in the gym, too.
More foundation cracks in the gym. The gym also does not have air conditioning, which makes for miserable conditions for children to play. During the hot months the gym is not used for fear that a child will overheat.
This does not look like something I would want to drink from.
More storage issue solutions. The gym locker room is housing props for school plays.
Back in the school we found more mold and peeling paint.
More peeling paint and mold.
Cracks and paint peeling from the moisture.
These units are the only heat found in the hallways. They do not have central ac and heat in the common areas.
Yet more peeling paint. This is found all over the campus.
This too is a common site. The roof is constantly leaking. These particular ceiling tiles have been replaced 4 times already this year.
More evidence of constantly replacing wall tiles.
When my daughter was here a few years ago, where the freezers are was where parents sat to have lunch with their children. When the freezer went out and was deemed obsolete and not repairable, there was no way to remove it out or move one in. This was the only solution.
This area outside is where parents have to eat with their child now.
It's very obvious in this picture this support is buckling.
This is some type of temporary wall that was constructed to hide damage. It must have been serious to lose valuable classroom space with this eye sore.
More leaking tiles that are needing their 5th replacement.
More water damage.
Here we see the entrance that is used for safety. Imagine the challenge of checking in the office to see your child or grandchild perform if you had a disability.
Here in the auditorium we see the very narrow access to the stage. I am certain it is not wide enough for a wheelchair. of course I can't check because I couldn't get the wheelchair in the door.
Backstage we find extensive water damage.
Even trash cans to catch the water.
More foundation issues and water damage.
They leave the light on because they have found over the years it slows the growth of mold.
The campus has wiring and network issues just as GMS does.
More mold.
More water damage.
This is how good our maintenance crew is. This wall has been constantly patched and skimmed over to hide the water damage over the years. You have to look closely to see it. This wall has been patched countless times over the years.
More cracks and leaks being caught in a bucket.
More severely damaged walls that have been patched, painted and attempted to be covered by classroom decor.
More peeling paint.
This has been rigged up in the alcove of a classroom to provide a semblance of privacy for changing students with special needs.
Because of needing extra space and even one or two classrooms uninhabitable, portable buildings are used. This particular one is where OT and PT are done. Can you imagine trying to get a wheelchair up that ramp?
Here you see termite damage peeking out.
After touring the 2nd campus to be replaced by the proposed school bond, I now more than ever think changes are needed and am more than willing to vote yes for our students. I'm not even waiting until May 10th. I will be at Gladewater City Hall at 8am on Monday morning for early voting. I have showed you where we are now, where I believe improvements and change are an absolute must. My next blog will show you where we will be should this bond pass. I will travel to the new Kilgore campuses that were built by the very same engineers that could build our schools. I can't wait to see what possibilities await our students and staff should the voters decide to invest in the future of Gladewater.
