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Board hears urgent complaints about long-running roof leak and aging elevators; administration says replacements scheduled
Summary
Public commenters told the board a Lincoln Avenue classroom has suffered a roof leak for years and elevators at multiple schools are unreliable. School Business Administrator Jason Ballard said a full roof replacement is approved for summer and elevator replacements, costing about $370,000 each, are underway.
The Orange Board of Education heard public appeals April 9 about safety and accessibility problems at district schools, including a reported multi-year roof leak at Lincoln Avenue School and elevators that have been out of service for much of the year.
"The elevator has been out of service for most of the school year and only operates briefly when repaired," student Dacheler Evra told the board, asking administrators to investigate. Teacher and Health and Safety Committee member Bill Nussbaum recounted a roof leak at Lincoln Avenue School he said has persisted for at least two years and noted missing door components in the Orange High School cafeteria that could prevent effective lockdowns. "We must treat this with the fierce urgency of now," Nussbaum said.
Board President Shawneque Johnson thanked the commenters and said she would inform the facilities team. Several board members pressed for accountability and immediate updates on repairs.
Jason Ballard, the district’s School Business Administrator and Board Secretary, told the board that earlier repair attempts on the Lincoln Avenue roof failed and that a complete roof replacement has been approved and is scheduled for the summer. He said many elevators are decades old, replacement parts are often unavailable, and "replacements—costing around $370,000 each—are underway through issued purchase orders." Ballard added the district has increased the maintenance budget over five years from $700,000 to $2.7 million to address capital needs.
Board members and staff differed on whether communications about the severity of the roof problem had reached the board sooner. Board member Siaka Sherif said lack of follow-up on the repair request suggested negligence and urged the district to provide a status update by the next meeting. Ballard responded that the need for a full replacement—not a temporary repair—was discussed with the finance and facilities committees and that major capital projects must follow legal protocols involving architects and engineers.
A district employee, Mr. Holmes, told the board that ongoing leaks could jeopardize upcoming state assessments by compromising test environments.
The board did not take a formal vote on new spending at the meeting; Ballard said replacement projects are proceeding under previously approved purchase orders and capital approvals. Board members urged staff to improve communication to ensure classroom safety issues are tracked and reported promptly.
The board is scheduled to meet again in May; members said they expect facilities staff to provide updated timelines and status reports by then.
