Published: August 24, 2008 11:27 pm            

Schools under scrutiny

CANNONSBURG — School administrators jump to attention when Suzanne Smith steps into the office.

They know her through her periodic visits to inspect their facilities for health and safety hazards. Twice a year, she makes unannounced stops at each of the public schools in the three districts in Boyd County.

Her eyes sharpened by 25 years of experience, Smith spots potential health and safety hazards others don’t notice.

When she stepped out of her car at Cannonsburg Elementary one recent morning for an inspection, she mentally marked a bent gutter before even entering the building.

After a quick greeting in the office, Smith marched down the main hallway with principal Debbie Gould and maintenance supervisor Bill Short in tow.

She spent the next hour and a half combing the school for potential violations of health and safety regulations. Before she left, Smith had walked every hallway, opened and closed every exit door in the building, checked out every restroom and prowled through a random selection of classrooms.

She also checked out the gym, cafeteria, equipment rooms and supply closets.

To its credit, Cannonsburg yielded few violations. Other than a couple of prohibited extension cords and burned-out fluorescent bulbs, the school passed the inspection handily.

“Most people think that all the health department does is shots, pap smears and food service inspections,” Smith said.

Not so. When she inspects a school, Smith inspects the whole school, from the classrooms to the playground.

Usually the principal accompanies her, and sometimes a maintenance official such as Short. It’s not required, but they prefer it that way. Being there when Smith spots a violation or potential hazard makes it possible for them to fix the problem quicker.

Which is in their interest, because the stakes are high. Though Cannonsburg earns consistently high evaluations, it cannot afford to ignore any of Smith’s findings. A school with critical violations has to correct them within 10 days or show cause why it didn’t.

Ultimately, Smith has the authority to shut down a school. It’s an authority she never has exercised, although she did once, at a different school, close a classroom on the spot because of several leaks from a faulty roof.

The procession stopped at a water fountain, where Smith flipped the valve to make sure the stream arches well above the crown of the splash guard.

In a nearby restroom she held a thermometer beneath the faucet to check the temperature. Under 95 degrees is too cool for effective hand-washing and over 120 risks scalding.

Cruising through the library she glanced up at lights overhead and scanned desktops for cracks.

Checking every classroom would be prohibitively time-consuming so she selects a few at random each visit. Ducking into one, she noted a flickering light and opened a small refrigerator. Short jotted down the faulty light for replacement. The lights are considered a health issue because they affect vision.

Continuing down the hall, Smith checked the charge and expiration date on a fire extinguisher and tried the door of a supply closet to make sure it was locked.

Her next classroom visit revealed a brown extension cord being used for a lamp, a critical violation but one easily remedied — Smith unplugged the lamp, coiled up the cord and handed it to Short.

Code requirements mandate use of heavy-duty extension cords, if any. Smith wasn’t surprised or overly dismayed to see the prohibited cord. With the proliferation of electronic devices in classrooms, many schools, especially older ones, aren’t equipped with enough outlets to carry the load.

Cannonsburg was built in 1962 with additions erected in subsequent years.

Smith suggested to the teacher that she use a power surge strip to plug in her appliances. Those are permitted.

In each classroom she inspected, Smith asked if there were any medications. Meds, even over-the-counter ones, must be locked up and teachers must have documentation authorizing dispensation to a student.

She also looked for seemingly mundane items such as spray cleaners in classrooms. Smith has heard of rare cases when liquid cleaners have been poured into drinking cups and consumed.

Outside, she boarded buses and looked for torn seats and broken mirrors. She peered underneath to make sure exhaust pipes are sound and properly positioned.

Dumpsters always get her attention; poorly maintained ones draw rodents and vermin.

Cannonsburg received an award of excellence last year for its performance on inspections, so Gould isn’t worried.

“We work on this all year around,” she said.

She’ll review Smith’s findings and discuss them with faculty.

MIKE JAMES can be reached at mjames@dailyindependent.com or at (606) 326-2652.

        

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