DETROIT – The city of Detroit has released the results of recent inspections conducted at Detroit Public Schools (DPS) buildings.
VIEW ALL INSPECTION REPORTS HERE
An inspection report with a list of violations for each of the following schools was released on the city's website. Health inspection reports also have been released four four of the schools. The health inspection reports include photos from inside the buildings.
- Blackwell Institute (view report here)
- Ronald Brown Academy (view report here)
- Dr. Ben Carson High School for Science and Medicine (view report here)
- J.E. Clark Preparatory Academy (view report here)
- Cody schools (view report here)
- Detroit International Academy (view report here)
- Dossin Elementary-Middle School (view report here)
- Greenfield Union Elementary-Middle School (view report here)
- A.L. Holmes Elementary-Middle School (view report here)
- Osborn schools (view report here)
- Spain Elementary-Middle School (view report here)
The inspections were conducted after what many called "deplorable" conditions were found at several of the district's school buildings. At Spain Elementary-Middle School, mushrooms were found growing in a bathroom. Teachers told Local 4 the mushrooms were not an uncommon site at DPS buildings.
The district will be required to fix emergency issues immediately and lesser violations within 30 days. The city will follow up with school personnel within 72 hours about the emergency issues. If the deadlines are not met, the district will need to justify getting an extension or be issued a fine.
Violations listed in the city's inspection notices range from damaged ceiling tiles to water-damaged floors. According to the city's reports, there are insects and rodents at several of the buildings that the schools must remove.Â
Mayor Mike Duggan said if DPS fails to respond, then the city of Detroit will take legal action.
"We are giving school officials a reasonable timeline to correct the deficiencies and we hope they will," said Duggan in a statement. "But if they don't, we are going to take prompt legal action to enforce compliance."
Claiming there is a lack of funding to make repairs is not acceptable, Duggan's office said. It is up to DPS to develop a plan for making repairs.
"I don't want there to be any confusion," he said. "A claim of a shortage of funds is not a defense to violations of building or health codes for any building owner. We're not going to allow our children, DPS employees, or the public to continue to be subjected to substandard conditions."
The schools also are faced with paying the inspection fee.
Meanwhile, Detroit teachers have been staging absences, or sick-outs, to draw attention to the district's shortcomings. They are demanding better teaching environments and pay.
School district spokeswoman Michelle Zdrodowski released the following statement Monday afternoon:
"DPS appreciates the city of Detroit for working in partnership with Detroit Public Schools to create a good working and learning environment for the District’s students and staff. Since inspections began, the District has cooperated fully with the City and its inspectors.
The inspection reports have called out a variety of issues and the District is developing plans to address the corrections requested in each school. In a majority of cases, the corrective actions requested are those that can and/or are already being addressed. There are, however, a number of corrections that are more extensive and costly. Life and safety matters are, of course, our priority and we are working to address those issues immediately.
The District will also be taking the inspection reports that it receives from the City and meeting with the State's Department of Licensing and Regulations to develop a broader plan that assures that we are following health and safety guidelines and remediating all issues of concern within our available resources.
DPS will continue to explore all of its budgetary options to ensure that its buildings are safe for its students and their families, staff and the public."
Teachers, parents can still report concerns to the city
Parents and educators can still report problems -- such as heating and cooling issues, mold, electrical problems or fire hazards -- through a link at www.detroitmi.gov or at bit.ly/SafeSchoolsDetroit.
After a complaint is received by the city, inspectors will be dispatched to the property, if they haven’t already inspected the school.