Lawmakers Visit School Today Upon Reports of Roof Debris Falling
After visiting Trenton Central High School on Friday upon receiving reports that portions of the roof were collapsing, 15th District legislators – Senator Shirley K. Turner, Assemblyman Reed Gusciora and Assemblywoman Bonnie Watson – requested a meeting with the Christie administration to discuss the rapidly deteriorating conditions at the capital city school and expedite promised funding.
In a letter sent to Gov. Christie, Department of Education Commissioner Chris Cerf and Schools Development Authority CEO Marc Larkins, the lawmakers noted, “The conditions we encountered throughout the school are completely unfitting for any educational environment – fallen plaster from portions of the ceiling in culinary classrooms and large portions of the roof in utter disrepair; a basement cafeteria lacking a ventilation system because installation of proper duct work would expose asbestos; damp carpets; the presence of mold; and a wall alarmingly referred to as the “waterfall wall” when it rains due to pervasive leaks, just to mention a few.”
The lawmakers, who have been fighting for nearly 10 years for state funding to replace the antiquated school, noted that the Schools Development Authority announced early this year that Trenton was slated for funding to build an entirely new Trenton Central High School. Since that time the decision has been scaled back to provide funding just for major renovations and later only funding to cover patchwork repairs.
They requested a meeting, at once, with the appropriate members of the administration to discuss expediting funding for the project because the situation “presents a wholly unsafe and unhealthy learning environment that students should not be subjected to.”
A full copy of the letter can be viewed here. Pictures from today’s visit are available upon request.