SHARON, MASS. (WHDH) - While teachers and students are scheduled to begin school in eight days in Sharon, teachers are pointing to a report listing more than 180 problems with buildings’ ventilation systems as evidence that schools aren’t safe for return, and their standoff with the town’s School Committee is headed for a state labor agency.
A company tested heating, air conditioning and air flow at the district’s five schools and found more than 180 problems, Sharon Teachers Association president Bernadette Murphy said.
“What the study showed is that the air circulation is not adequate to deal with a virus like COVID 19,” Murphy said. “I’m sure some things will be fixed but they can’t guarantee everything that needs to be fixed is going to be fixed.”
The teachers have disputed safety at the building for weeks, while district officials say the schools are safe. Superintendent Victoria Greer said the buildings would be ready by next week.
“The needed repairs relate to the air flow rather than the quality of the air that is flowing through the buildings,” Greer said. “We have service crews working overtime, including evenings and weekends to ensure that the work is complete on or before September 14. “
But teachers did not report to work Tuesday, when they were told to come into school, citing those safety concerns.
“They want us to get comfortable in sick buildings. We don’t believe that should happen,” Murphy said.
The union is now filing a charge with the state Department of Labor Relations, claiming negotiations over safety have stalled. In a statement, the Sharon School Committee said they have also filed a petition with the board, claiming the teachers not coming in Tuesday was an illegal strike.
Murphy said teachers continued to work remotely to prepare for classes and were not on strike, and blasted the School Committee’s move.
“It is unconscionable for the district to force us into buildings deemed unsafe by the district’s own contractor. I do not believe parents want to put their children’s health at risk,” Murphy said in a statement. “This action is about the School Committee trying to prove they are in charge instead of doing what is right for student and staff safety.
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