"Hazardous, unsanitary" conditions inside city schools
City Controller Alan Butkovitz Wednesday detailed what he said were "hazardous and unsanitary" conditions inside Philadelphia schools.
He said he found immediate health hazards that went unaddressed by the Philadelphia School District.
Over four months, members of the Controller's staff visited 20 schools throughout the city as a followup to a 2008 report citing problems with school facilities. Things were much the same, Butkovitz said.
His staff found "fire hazards, electrical hazards, safety and tripping hazards, water damage, damaged or deterioriated masonry, and other damaged building elements," the report said. They believe the schools they examined are emblamatic of others across the district.
Among the problems were a 600 volt electrical closet left open in an auditorium where children could access it; asbestos insulation in a hallway that was not properly sealed; and water damage at 95 percent of the schools visited.
In some bathrooms, cockroaches were found on floors and toilets had waste permanently in them.
"That's not something that happens in a first-world public facility," Butkovitz said. "That's totally unacceptable."
Butkovitz said the district has not responded to the audit - or to his emergency notification of immediate safety hazards.
"This is waving a red flag about these issues," the controller said.
The Philadelphia School District has a large stock of aging buildings. The Inquirer has previously reported on widespread facillities problems which officials have estimated would cost $4 billion to fix in full.
But the problems found by the Controller were not limited to old buildings. Some new schools, including Fels High, were also cited for problems.
This is a developing story. Check back for more details, including school district response.
