WEBVTT NOTE duration:"00:04:02" NOTE recognizability:0.834 NOTE language:en-us NOTE Confidence: 0.864538488823529 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:01.224 New at 6:00 tonight. NOTE Confidence: 0.864538488823529 00:00:01.224 --> 00:00:03.060 The Columbus Board of Education has NOTE Confidence: 0.864538488823529 00:00:03.123 --> 00:00:05.258 called for a special meeting on Monday. NOTE Confidence: 0.864538488823529 00:00:05.260 --> 00:00:07.318 It comes one day after the NOTE Confidence: 0.864538488823529 00:00:07.318 --> 00:00:09.060 Columbus Teachers Union voted to NOTE Confidence: 0.864538488823529 00:00:09.060 --> 00:00:10.896 initiate a 10 day strike notice. NOTE Confidence: 0.864538488823529 00:00:10.900 --> 00:00:12.881 The two sides are engaged in a NOTE Confidence: 0.864538488823529 00:00:12.881 --> 00:00:14.942 labor dispute over wages and the NOTE Confidence: 0.864538488823529 00:00:14.942 --> 00:00:16.857 conditions inside the school buildings. NOTE Confidence: 0.864538488823529 00:00:16.860 --> 00:00:18.312 10 Investigates uncovered how NOTE Confidence: 0.864538488823529 00:00:18.312 --> 00:00:20.127 dozens of Columbus schools have NOTE Confidence: 0.864538488823529 00:00:20.127 --> 00:00:21.925 been flagged in recent months NOTE Confidence: 0.864538488823529 00:00:21.925 --> 00:00:23.640 for health and safety concerns. NOTE Confidence: 0.864538488823529 00:00:23.640 --> 00:00:25.026 Tonight Chief investigative NOTE Confidence: 0.864538488823529 00:00:25.026 --> 00:00:26.874 reporter Bennett Haberly explains NOTE Confidence: 0.864538488823529 00:00:26.874 --> 00:00:28.831 how pervasive this problem NOTE Confidence: 0.864538488823529 00:00:28.831 --> 00:00:30.349 with deteriorating schools. NOTE Confidence: 0.864538488823529 00:00:30.350 --> 00:00:31.040 Really is. NOTE Confidence: 0.889304556363636 00:00:32.190 --> 00:00:33.980 These photos from inside Westmore NOTE Confidence: 0.889304556363636 00:00:33.980 --> 00:00:36.184 middle school mirror many of the NOTE Confidence: 0.889304556363636 00:00:36.184 --> 00:00:38.266 same issues found across the Columbus NOTE Confidence: 0.889304556363636 00:00:38.266 --> 00:00:39.889 School District on May 15th, NOTE Confidence: 0.889304556363636 00:00:39.890 --> 00:00:42.080 a health and safety inspector found NOTE Confidence: 0.889304556363636 00:00:42.080 --> 00:00:44.381 chipping and suspected lead based paint NOTE Confidence: 0.889304556363636 00:00:44.381 --> 00:00:46.326 in multiple classroom window sills, NOTE Confidence: 0.889304556363636 00:00:46.330 --> 00:00:48.225 but emails between the city's NOTE Confidence: 0.889304556363636 00:00:48.225 --> 00:00:50.120 health department and Columbus City NOTE Confidence: 0.889304556363636 00:00:50.183 --> 00:00:51.903 Schools showed the district didn't NOTE Confidence: 0.889304556363636 00:00:51.903 --> 00:00:54.270 issue a work order until July 15th, NOTE Confidence: 0.889304556363636 00:00:54.270 --> 00:00:56.410 two months after that inspection. NOTE Confidence: 0.889304556363636 00:00:56.410 --> 00:00:59.330 It wasn't the only repair delay we found. NOTE Confidence: 0.889304556363636 00:00:59.330 --> 00:01:01.215 Lead paint was discovered in NOTE Confidence: 0.889304556363636 00:01:01.215 --> 00:01:02.723 nine classrooms at Devonshire. NOTE Confidence: 0.889304556363636 00:01:02.730 --> 00:01:04.940 Elementary during a March inspection, NOTE Confidence: 0.889304556363636 00:01:04.940 --> 00:01:07.166 but it took the district 7 weeks NOTE Confidence: 0.889304556363636 00:01:07.166 --> 00:01:08.740 to issue those repairs. NOTE Confidence: 0.889304556363636 00:01:08.740 --> 00:01:10.600 These loose bricks were also found NOTE Confidence: 0.889304556363636 00:01:10.600 --> 00:01:12.500 during that same March inspection, NOTE Confidence: 0.889304556363636 00:01:12.500 --> 00:01:13.935 but they were still there NOTE Confidence: 0.889304556363636 00:01:13.935 --> 00:01:14.796 when 10 investigates. NOTE Confidence: 0.889304556363636 00:01:14.800 --> 00:01:16.830 Visited this week records we NOTE Confidence: 0.889304556363636 00:01:16.830 --> 00:01:18.860 reviewed also found that inspectors NOTE Confidence: 0.889304556363636 00:01:18.931 --> 00:01:20.803 have routinely flagged issues NOTE Confidence: 0.889304556363636 00:01:20.803 --> 00:01:22.675 inside Columbus City Schools. NOTE Confidence: 0.889304556363636 00:01:22.680 --> 00:01:24.168 We wanted to know why this NOTE Confidence: 0.889304556363636 00:01:24.168 --> 00:01:25.160 is a recurring problem. NOTE Confidence: 0.889304556363636 00:01:25.160 --> 00:01:27.336 So we took our questions to the district, NOTE Confidence: 0.889304556363636 00:01:27.340 --> 00:01:28.915 but they would only agree to do NOTE Confidence: 0.889304556363636 00:01:28.915 --> 00:01:30.420 an interview after we showed up NOTE Confidence: 0.889304556363636 00:01:30.420 --> 00:01:31.715 at Tuesday night's board meeting. NOTE Confidence: 0.889304556363636 00:01:31.720 --> 00:01:32.528 But in your view, NOTE Confidence: 0.892417735 00:01:32.540 --> 00:01:33.822 what? How quickly should something NOTE Confidence: 0.892417735 00:01:33.822 --> 00:01:35.658 like that be as well as soon as NOTE Confidence: 0.892417735 00:01:35.658 --> 00:01:36.806 practical because sometimes we NOTE Confidence: 0.892417735 00:01:36.806 --> 00:01:38.868 have to set out bids for that work. NOTE Confidence: 0.892417735 00:01:38.870 --> 00:01:41.208 Sometimes we have people who are already, NOTE Confidence: 0.892417735 00:01:41.210 --> 00:01:43.628 you know, on a purchase order. NOTE Confidence: 0.892417735 00:01:43.630 --> 00:01:45.208 It just depends on the situation. NOTE Confidence: 0.892417735 00:01:45.210 --> 00:01:47.163 Then the extent of it you know is it NOTE Confidence: 0.892417735 00:01:47.163 --> 00:01:49.447 a small area or is it multiple areas? NOTE Confidence: 0.892417735 00:01:49.450 --> 00:01:51.669 And again, we may have to also NOTE Confidence: 0.892417735 00:01:51.669 --> 00:01:53.041 move students out depending NOTE Confidence: 0.892417735 00:01:53.041 --> 00:01:55.135 on when that work gets done NOTE Confidence: 0.6617203 00:01:55.210 --> 00:01:56.866 well. It's not just Devonshire though. NOTE Confidence: 0.6617203 00:01:56.870 --> 00:01:58.202 I mean it's and it's not NOTE Confidence: 0.6617203 00:01:58.202 --> 00:01:59.090 just issues with playgrounds. NOTE Confidence: 0.6617203 00:01:59.090 --> 00:02:00.896 I mean we're talking about issues NOTE Confidence: 0.6617203 00:02:00.896 --> 00:02:02.969 with lead paint issues with water and. NOTE Confidence: 0.6617203 00:02:02.970 --> 00:02:05.226 Intrusion ceiling tiles that are missing? NOTE Confidence: 0.6617203 00:02:05.230 --> 00:02:07.678 I mean, we're talking about these NOTE Confidence: 0.6617203 00:02:07.678 --> 00:02:09.764 are facilities where children are NOTE Confidence: 0.6617203 00:02:09.764 --> 00:02:11.490 attending class every day. The NOTE Confidence: 0.894220154 00:02:11.500 --> 00:02:12.832 conditions inside Columbus City NOTE Confidence: 0.894220154 00:02:12.832 --> 00:02:14.497 Schools have become a focal NOTE Confidence: 0.894220154 00:02:14.497 --> 00:02:16.118 point and the now public fight NOTE Confidence: 0.818301084 00:02:16.130 --> 00:02:18.470 between the teachers union and the district. NOTE Confidence: 0.821797007777778 00:02:18.560 --> 00:02:20.864 We shared some of the images with Maria NOTE Confidence: 0.821797007777778 00:02:20.864 --> 00:02:22.775 Lehman. She's the president of the NOTE Confidence: 0.821797007777778 00:02:22.775 --> 00:02:24.390 American Society of Civil Engineers. NOTE Confidence: 0.815713552307692 00:02:24.440 --> 00:02:26.057 I would love to tell you that NOTE Confidence: 0.815713552307692 00:02:26.057 --> 00:02:27.699 this is a this is unique, NOTE Confidence: 0.815713552307692 00:02:27.700 --> 00:02:30.045 but it's not. This is a systemic NOTE Confidence: 0.909861370833333 00:02:30.060 --> 00:02:31.770 problem. I think you could find NOTE Confidence: 0.909861370833333 00:02:31.770 --> 00:02:33.570 examples like this around the country. NOTE Confidence: 0.809191571052632 00:02:33.720 --> 00:02:35.620 Her organization published a report NOTE Confidence: 0.809191571052632 00:02:35.620 --> 00:02:37.520 last year finding that schools NOTE Confidence: 0.809191571052632 00:02:37.582 --> 00:02:39.502 conditions across the country deserved NOTE Confidence: 0.809191571052632 00:02:39.502 --> 00:02:41.590 AD plus letter grade, noting that. NOTE Confidence: 0.809191571052632 00:02:41.590 --> 00:02:43.515 Many schools need to provide a safe NOTE Confidence: 0.809191571052632 00:02:43.515 --> 00:02:45.039 and effective learning environment NOTE Confidence: 0.809191571052632 00:02:45.039 --> 00:02:47.421 for the nation's students and public NOTE Confidence: 0.809191571052632 00:02:47.421 --> 00:02:49.410 schools need to be in good condition. NOTE Confidence: 0.809191571052632 00:02:49.410 --> 00:02:51.237 The report also found that more than NOTE Confidence: 0.809191571052632 00:02:51.237 --> 00:02:52.969 half of public schools needed to NOTE Confidence: 0.809191571052632 00:02:52.969 --> 00:02:54.686 spend money on repairs, renovations, NOTE Confidence: 0.809191571052632 00:02:54.686 --> 00:02:57.266 and modernizations to bring the NOTE Confidence: 0.809191571052632 00:02:57.266 --> 00:02:59.330 infrastructure into good condition. NOTE Confidence: 0.809191571052632 00:02:59.330 --> 00:03:01.374 When we asked her about Columbus City NOTE Confidence: 0.809191571052632 00:03:01.374 --> 00:03:03.320 Schools, she said, they're not alone. NOTE Confidence: 0.874299524736842 00:03:03.390 --> 00:03:05.399 I'm not shocked, and I can imagine NOTE Confidence: 0.874299524736842 00:03:05.399 --> 00:03:07.407 that most major city school districts NOTE Confidence: 0.874299524736842 00:03:07.407 --> 00:03:09.585 have buildings that look like that, NOTE Confidence: 0.874299524736842 00:03:09.590 --> 00:03:11.300 and I would love to say NOTE Confidence: 0.874299524736842 00:03:11.300 --> 00:03:12.840 that that's not the case. NOTE Confidence: 0.874299524736842 00:03:12.840 --> 00:03:16.030 But I know from from my 40 years in the NOTE Confidence: 0.874299524736842 00:03:16.112 --> 00:03:19.220 business that I've seen that it's not. NOTE Confidence: 0.874299524736842 00:03:19.220 --> 00:03:21.512 It's not a one off, I guess that's what NOTE Confidence: 0.874299524736842 00:03:21.512 --> 00:03:23.579 I'm telling you and that and that's sad, NOTE Confidence: 0.874299524736842 00:03:23.580 --> 00:03:24.628 because we really need NOTE Confidence: 0.874299524736842 00:03:24.628 --> 00:03:25.676 to make the investment. NOTE Confidence: 0.840353515454546 00:03:25.690 --> 00:03:27.380 That group's report also encourages NOTE Confidence: 0.840353515454546 00:03:27.380 --> 00:03:29.640 districts to get creative with financing, NOTE Confidence: 0.840353515454546 00:03:29.640 --> 00:03:31.740 so that when these repairs are needed, NOTE Confidence: 0.840353515454546 00:03:31.740 --> 00:03:33.246 they don't have to rely on NOTE Confidence: 0.840353515454546 00:03:33.246 --> 00:03:34.750 taxpayers to always foot the bill. NOTE Confidence: 0.594877923333333 00:03:34.940 --> 00:03:36.372 I think that's critical. NOTE Confidence: 0.594877923333333 00:03:36.372 --> 00:03:38.162 I absolutely think that's critical. NOTE Confidence: 0.719206438333333 00:03:40.510 --> 00:03:42.425 And Lyman went on to say, we should treat NOTE Confidence: 0.719206438333333 00:03:42.425 --> 00:03:43.750 it like other public infrastructure, NOTE Confidence: 0.719206438333333 00:03:43.750 --> 00:03:46.368 like roads and bridges. CCS, by the way, NOTE Confidence: 0.719206438333333 00:03:46.368 --> 00:03:47.844 says it is committed to investing. NOTE Confidence: 0.719206438333333 00:03:47.850 --> 00:03:50.041 But it also has plans to axe NOTE Confidence: 0.719206438333333 00:03:50.041 --> 00:03:52.115 ask taxpayers to approve a levy NOTE Confidence: 0.719206438333333 00:03:52.115 --> 00:03:54.245 and a bond issue this November. NOTE Confidence: 0.719206438333333 00:03:54.250 --> 00:03:55.150 The district, by the way, NOTE Confidence: 0.719206438333333 00:03:55.150 --> 00:03:57.418 did use stimulus money this year to NOTE Confidence: 0.719206438333333 00:03:57.418 --> 00:04:00.121 pay for HVAC systems in 16 schools NOTE Confidence: 0.719206438333333 00:04:00.121 --> 00:04:02.000 that needed those upgrades. Yolanda.