Page 8 - Work Force September 2020

Safety a top priority for school workers
BALLSTON SPA — School mechanics at Ballston Spa Central School District are getting high grades for safety, with near perfect scores
from the state Department of Transportation (DOT) the last four years.
School bus safety is a top priority for school districts, so most schools establish periodic maintenance schedules. The state DOT backs that up with compliance inspections, checking driver and mileage reports. This one-two combination means New York state school buses are some of the safest in the country.
At Ballston Spa Central School District, 87 buses and school vehicles make up a fleet of 120 district vehicles that rotate
through monthly service checks. DOT representatives come to the school semi-annually as part of that department’s total of nearly 200 DOT inspections per year.
After schools had closed in March, buses at Ballston Spa were still in service for special education runs as well as community service support
like food deliveries and a popular backpack program, reports Head Mechanic Brad Pingelski.
CSEA members who are employed as mechanics at the district are proud of the work they do.
“We know that on each run there could be up to 72 kids on each bus and we are responsible to them
and the drivers,” said Tom Smith, a mechanic.
Ballston Spa Central School District Unit President Sue Spain, a bus driver, said she values the back-up mechanics provide.
“If ever there are any problems with our bus, they tell us to pull over and they come right to us, wherever we are, to help,” Spain said. “Our mechanics are on call 24/7. They don’t leave until all the buses are in and everyone is home.”
As this edition went to press, school districts statewide were busy with their plans to safely reopen schools. School employees are balancing educational goals with safety concerns for themselves and students.
Ballston Spa Central School District Mechanic John Butler checks tire pressure on a bus during routine maintenance.
Safe@School: What CSEA members are doing to be safe
As schools reopen, CSEA-represented school employees have the added benefit of dedicated CSEA Occupational Safety and Health staff to turn to.
Spain said she has been in frequent contact with CSEA Occupational Safety and Health Specialist Brian Pomeroy, whose area includes the Capital Region, with
questions about safety protocols for her unit of 250 members working in seven different buildings.
“We are working continuously with CSEA Safety & Health to make sure all protocols are in place to protect students and members alike,” Spain said.
— Therese Assalian
Editor’s Note: As this edition went to press, CSEA members employed by school districts were preparing for the new school year under many questions due to varied school reopening plans. CSEA school district unit officers and activists have been regularly discussing their concerns with
one another, including
at a recent, socially distanced meeting among Westchester County school district units. See Page
3 for more about CSEA’s Safe@School initiative. (Photos by Jessica Ladlee.)
“My biggest concern is air filtration and the ventilation system. Our school is very old, and due to the age of our infrastructure, could only get
a MERV 11 filtration system instead of the [recommended]
MERV 13 system.
Our district has instituted a visitor policy.
We have to know who is coming in the building and limit the number of people coming in and out of our office. Our office is small, so [we now have] a rolling partition and put Plexiglas around my desk because we’re not six feet apart.”
— Rosemary DeVito, president, Edgemont School District Unit
“I’m most concerned about safety and who is going to contact trace. Are they going to shut buildings down for 14 days if there is a positive case? We made statements to the Board of Education and requested the 14 days.
I’m on several of our district committees that have
been set up, so I’ve been able to ask questions and
raise concerns on our members’ behalf. The district has provided each staff member and student with a reusable mask.”
— Adele Herzenberg, president, White Plains School District Unit
“We never left [the school buildings]. As custodians, we can’t virtually fix a pipe. We can’t virtually paint. Our district has been good about keeping us informed and getting us our PPE. It’s important to remember that for many of us, we never left and we’ve been here getting the job done.”
— Tim Khuns, president, Peekskill City School District Unit
8 The Work Force
September 2020