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Topic Started: Jan 6 2006, 08:24 PM (1,016 Views)
ktmom
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Principal
Did anyone see the article in today's paper regarding The Old Cooper Site?

It reads as follows:

SCHOOL CONTAMINANT REPORT DUE SOON

An enviromental consulting group is expected to soon reveal what if found at the former Cooper School site on Ann Arbor Trail, said Mayor Sandra Cicirelli. NTH Consultants hired by LPS, has been measuring the level of contaminants at the sire to determine what should be done to clean it up: the Michigan Department of Enviromental Quality has been overseeing the process. The school building was erected in the late 1960's for Livonia and Westland students and closed in 1991 after contaminants were found in the soil. The building was razed in July.

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ktmom
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Ok, I am no enviromental engineer but this concerns me. Were the parents notified that this testing was happening? Does this mean they will also test the soil at the "New" Cooper location. I mean 700K in upgrades to the school have to be made anyways wouldn't you think that a little more could be spent on the testing there as well just to prove to the parents the location is safe?

Sorry just venting....
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grantmom
Principal
ktmom
Jan 6 2006, 08:27 PM
Ok, I am no enviromental engineer but this concerns me.  Were the parents notified that this testing was happening?  Does this mean they will also test the soil at the "New" Cooper location.  I mean 700K in upgrades to the school have to be made anyways wouldn't you think that a little more could be spent on the testing there as well just to prove to the parents the location is safe?

Sorry just venting....

No need to apologize. These are issues I've been bringing up, along with a lot of others, on the Cooper/Emerson/Franklin forum topic. If they are not even sure if the Old Cooper site is safe how can they insure us that the New Cooper site is safe? I just don't understand why the BOE doesn't put are children first and close this school (Cooper) move the children at Cooper to Riley and those at Riley to Dickinson!!!This is such a hot issue and I don't know why they would dump $600,000 into Cooper when it would only take $800,000 to get Dickinson up and running. $200,000 seems like a small amount to pay to insure that our children are safe. I've heard that air quality monitors will be placed around the old Cooper site when construction begins, but I pose this question....what happens if those machines start to read high levels of toxins in the air and our children are sitting in their classrooms with all the windows open...by the time any busses could get there to get our children out it will be too late. This is too great of a risk to take. LPS is suppose to provide a safe learning environment for our children and I do not feel this is a safe learning environment. :angry:
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Cindi
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I'm confused...Why didn't LPS hire this firm BEFORE this plan was even brought to the table? So what if they determine it is unsafe? Where will the results be published (under the rug?)? It makes the school district look like completly incompetent!! (sp?)
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klezy99
Principal
Cindi
Jan 6 2006, 09:08 PM
I'm confused...Why didn't LPS hire this firm BEFORE this plan was even brought to the table? So what if they determine it is unsafe? Where will the results be published (under the rug?)? It makes the school district look like completly incompetent!! (sp?)

The BOE may very well pay off people to make it look safe...What I don't get is why are the current parents with kids at Cooper now, not saying anything,,,I cant believe they even send their kids there...And they wonder why we are having trouble with going their next year c,mon..Have they not read about any of this.. KIds will not be showing signs of any illness for years to come maybe 15-20years.. then lets interview them and see how they are doing...The poor babies just born to the teachers at Cooper I wish all the best to them in the future.. but you never know what is BLOWING IN THE WIND.. mY child will not attend Cooper at all ....
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grantmom
Principal
klezy99
Jan 6 2006, 10:02 PM
Cindi
Jan 6 2006, 09:08 PM
I'm confused...Why didn't LPS hire this firm BEFORE this plan was even brought to the table?  So what if they determine it is unsafe?  Where will the results be published (under the rug?)?  It makes the school district look like completly incompetent!! (sp?)

The BOE may very well pay off people to make it look safe...What I don't get is why are the current parents with kids at Cooper now, not saying anything,,,I cant believe they even send their kids there...And they wonder why we are having trouble with going their next year c,mon..Have they not read about any of this.. KIds will not be showing signs of any illness for years to come maybe 15-20years.. then lets interview them and see how they are doing...The poor babies just born to the teachers at Cooper I wish all the best to them in the future.. but you never know what is BLOWING IN THE WIND.. mY child will not attend Cooper at all ....

Amen.. Klezy99 are your children suppose to go to Cooper? If so where are you thinking of sending them? I am so upset with this Cooper issue and I'm trying to find out what other parents are going to do. I can't believe that the teacher from Cooper would be so ignorant as to think that just because current teachers/their newborns and students are ok now doesn't mean they won't have problems in the future.
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Grant1
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We have just begun to fight!
The real information would be found at the Michigan DEQ site, or directly from thier office after the work is completed. I do not believe anyone can "pay them off"
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fyi
Principal
I'm not a geneticist, but what if it affects the next generation? Genes can mutate
with one generation and affect the next. That would make it real hard to prove that it was anything at the Cooper/Whittier site. Now you're talking 40 years or more.
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grantmom
Principal
fyi
Jan 7 2006, 10:50 AM
I'm not a geneticist, but what if it affects the next generation? Genes can mutate
with one generation and affect the next. That would make it real hard to prove that it was anything at the Cooper/Whittier site. Now you're talking 40 years or more.

Maybe this is what they are banking on.
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c3hull
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I believe the reason the BOE wouldn’t want to open Dickinson has nothing to do with $200,000. Lets remember, aren’t they also trying to close Taylor? Well, lets think ahead. If Taylor and Dickinson were to get leveled, wouldn’t that be one prime of a piece of real estate! Now were talking several MILLIONS of dollars. Hummmm?
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klezy99
Principal
grantmom
Jan 6 2006, 11:01 PM
klezy99
Jan 6 2006, 10:02 PM
Cindi
Jan 6 2006, 09:08 PM
I'm confused...Why didn't LPS hire this firm BEFORE this plan was even brought to the table?  So what if they determine it is unsafe?  Where will the results be published (under the rug?)?  It makes the school district look like completly incompetent!! (sp?)

The BOE may very well pay off people to make it look safe...What I don't get is why are the current parents with kids at Cooper now, not saying anything,,,I cant believe they even send their kids there...And they wonder why we are having trouble with going their next year c,mon..Have they not read about any of this.. KIds will not be showing signs of any illness for years to come maybe 15-20years.. then lets interview them and see how they are doing...The poor babies just born to the teachers at Cooper I wish all the best to them in the future.. but you never know what is BLOWING IN THE WIND.. mY child will not attend Cooper at all ....

Amen.. Klezy99 are your children suppose to go to Cooper? If so where are you thinking of sending them? I am so upset with this Cooper issue and I'm trying to find out what other parents are going to do. I can't believe that the teacher from Cooper would be so ignorant as to think that just because current teachers/their newborns and students are ok now doesn't mean they won't have problems in the future.

TO Grant mom...I put in for school of choice at Riley..I live right across the street S. of 5. from Riley..so I'm praying for this... If it does not happen another mom and I will seek community home schooling... To fyi ANYBODY CAN BE PAID OFF IN ANY KIND OF WAY....in this world we live in,,don't be so naive....Idon't care if genes mutate and the problem happens 40 years from now.. I have a choice NOW NOT to send my child their and not see any kind of gene mutation from the Cooper site at all.. Thank you
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fyi
Principal
Quote:
 
:To fyi ANYBODY CAN BE PAID OFF IN ANY KIND OF WAY....in this world we live in,,don't be so naive....Idon't care if genes mutate and the problem happens 40 years from now.. I have a choice NOW NOT to send my child their and not see any kind of gene mutation from the Cooper site at all.. Thank you

I think you misunderstood what I was saying. If health risks should surface many years in the future(which most likely is the scenario), it will be hard to prove that it was from attending school at Cooper. I'm sure the BOE is counting on this. Genetic mutations are hard to prove. I wouldn't send my child to Cooper because of the potential health risks. I don't care how big or small the risk is---any risk is too much.

In other words, I'm on your side with this issue.
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fyi
Principal
Livonia board considers leasing schools it closes

Parents' group fights restructuring, imposes deadline for trustees to drop idea or face lawsuit.

Catherine Jun / The Detroit News


David Coates / The Detroit News

Mahi Khandelwal, 3, and teacher Beth Allen work on a project at Little Tots of Livonia. The building is leased from the Livonia school district, which is studying leasing some of the seven elementary schools it plans to shut. Parents opposed to the proposal are threatening to sue.




LIVONIA -- Administrators at Livonia Public Schools are moving ahead with school closures and restructuring in the district as incensed parents are gearing up to take legal action if necessary to halt the process.

The district's plan, adopted by the school board Dec.5 in a 6-to-1 vote, calls for closing seven elementary schools and realigning the district into K-4, 5-6, 7-8 and 9-12 schools by this fall.

District administrators are considering the future of several school building they expect to be empty by fall.

"We will be looking at leasing the facilities if we can," Livonia Superintendent Randy Liepa said.

Administrators are discussing the terms of a possible one-year lease agreement with Plymouth-Canton Community Schools for the use of Washington Elementary to house 370 students while Miller Elementary is being renovated, said Frank Ruggirello, spokesman for the Plymouth-Canton district.

"There's no lease agreement yet, but there's a very good possibility that this will happen," Ruggirello said.

Leasing some of the buildings is a favorable way for the district to retain them for reuse if enrollment rises, Liepa said.

Citizens for Livonia's Future, a parents' group leading the opposition to the plan, delivered a salvo this week to the board.

The group's attorney, Mayer Morganroth of Southfield, sent a letter to the school board imposing a Jan. 25 deadline to drop the plan -- or face a legal battle.

"We are totally prepared to fight this to the end," said Steven Futrell, president of the parents' group and a father of four. "We hope the board will see the light so that we don't have to file a lawsuit."

Futrell said he is not surprised about the lease talks, but warned they will be nullified if the parents prevail.

"They are looking at contracts that, if we are successful, they will have to pull out of," Futrell said. "They've been put on notice."

And the parents appear to be gaining support.

A Wednesday night meeting drew about 250 people, and area businesses have pledged financial contributions for the possible legal battle.

Administrators at Plymouth-Canton say they want to stay above the fray, but hope the lease is worked out.

"If the lease is offered, it appears we will accept, pending board approval," Ruggirello said.

The 18,000-student Livonia district -- the largest in suburban Wayne County -- has been forced to cut $19 million from its general fund budget over the last five years since elementary school enrollment has declined by 1,100 students since 1995.

The plan will save $1.5 million to $2 million a year, according to the district.

Leasing has become common practice in the district as school buildings have closed over the years.

The district now leases four buildings to preschools, day care centers, Redford Union School District's special education programs and St. Mary Mercy Hospital for administrative offices.

The district is taking other steps to move ahead with the plan.

Administrators are discussing forming a district transition team of parents and staff members to plan joint activities for schools that will combine, Liepa said. The district soon will meet with the teachers' and custodial unions to discuss placement.

Principals of the remaining schools will be named within the month, Liepa said.

You can reach Catherine Jun at (734) 462-2204 or cjun@detnews.com.


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Iliveon-Levandownbytheriver
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Quote from article....."Leasing some of the buildings is a favorable way for the district to retain them for reuse if enrollment rises, Liepa said."


Great...will our kids be shuffled around again..if enrollment goes up? Great planning by the BOE! NOT

Do they think enrollment will be going up..when they pointed out over and over that it will keep going down..according to their research??
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fyi
Principal
Sounds like they are talking out of both sides of their mouth. Which is it?
are we going up or down? I'm so confused.
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