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Parents, teachers press Albany school board for transparent PCB testing and staffing answers
Summary
Public commenters urged immediate, transparent PCB testing and expert briefings after reports of PCBs in aging district buildings and pressed the board to reverse staff cuts and avoid blended classrooms; district staff said testing will proceed only after bargaining and that previous Apex results can be posted.
Parents and teachers at Wednesday’s Greater Albany Public School District meeting urged immediate action and transparency after reports that PCBs were found in district facilities, and they pressed the board to restore teaching positions and reconsider blended‑classroom plans.
Multiple speakers told the board that PCB concerns and staffing changes are creating anxiety in the community. Janine Toplane, a third‑grade teacher at North Albany Elementary, and public commenters reading a petition from more than 100 parents said blended classrooms and cuts in certified staff risk undermining early‑grade literacy. “If an entity does not support and nourish what lies at its roots—elementary education with small class sizes and reasonable caseloads—it cannot expect to flourish,” Toplane said.
A district staff member explained that the district applied for up to $1,358,000 to reimburse testing and remediation costs and that testing would not begin until the district had reached agreements with bargaining units. The business manager noted that the award is reimbursement‑only, that indirect‑cost allowances may reduce the net amount, and that reimbursement funds are available through June 30, 2027.
Several commenters insisted that air testing alone is insufficient and pressed for thorough, professional sampling and public town‑hall briefings. One commenter, JD, said a family member was sick after exposure and called for a town hall with experts and fuller community involvement. The district agreed to have counsel and staff schedule bargaining discussions and to make available existing Apex testing results and methodologies to the public.
Board members and staff described operational constraints: class‑size and staffing thresholds are dictated by collective bargaining agreements and the budget; the business manager said the district’s FTE costs make personnel reductions the largest tool for reducing the structural shortfall. Board members asked staff to publish available testing reports and methodology and to continue bargaining with unions as the district plans further testing.
The public record shows no further action taken at the meeting to alter staffing reductions; the budget motions that night passed as presented.
