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Community groups press PGCPS on facility access and air‑quality transparency as board celebrates national sustainability award
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Summary
During public comment Robert Pettis urged the district to restore turnkey access to school buildings for community youth programs, citing rising custodial costs, and educator Dr. Katherine Nuosu asked for public release of air‑quality testing after a classroom fire. The board also recognized a national NSBA Magna Award for the district's Go Green initiative.
Members of the public used the April 23 Board of Education meeting to press facility and transparency concerns while the board simultaneously recognized district sustainability work.
Robert Pettis, representing the Kettering Largo Mitchellville Boys & Girls Club, told the board the turnkey program that previously enabled community organizations to open school buildings for after‑school activities has been narrowed so that only school employees can serve as turnkey personnel. He said a 64‑hour gym reservation that would once have cost a small fee became financially burdensome once custodial labor rates were applied: "These custodial rates are financially draining for community and volunteer‑based community organizations like ours," he said, and asked the board and partnering commissions to revisit the policy so volunteer organizations can continue providing teen sports programs.
Earlier in the meeting board members also recognized that Prince George's County Public Schools had been named a 2026 NSBA Magna Award grand‑prize winner for the district's Go Green initiative. The chair invited the PGCPS team involved in the work to come forward for recognition and acknowledged former board member Kenneth Harris for his role in the climate action plan.
During public comment Dr. Katherine Nuosu, identifying herself as an educator and a classroom neighbor to a room that had been affected by a recent fire, thanked staff for a rapid response but asked for clearer transparency about remediation and air‑quality testing results. She requested written release of testing that shows which areas met safety thresholds and which required additional remediation, and said families and staff would be reassured by proactive, consistent communications ahead of reopening.
The chair noted that written and prerecorded comments are posted on the board's Diligent portal and encouraged use of testimony@pgcps.org for future submissions. District staff acknowledged the community's concerns during the superintendent's and COO's updates but did not take a formal vote on facility‑use policy changes at the meeting.
