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Senator Liston A. Davis, Chairman of the 26th Legislature's Committee on Education, Youth and Culture, Wednesday continued his fact-finding tour of public schools visiting the Bertha C. Boschulte Junior High School and the Leonard Dober Elementary School.
Senator Davis was greeted by BCB Principal Carver Farrow who told him one of the major challenges at the school was a lack of operational air-conditioning units. Farrow indicated there are eight to ten units that were never completely hooked up in the first place and the company responsible for hooking them up never returned to complete the job. "Keeping the school cool should be a top priority," Farrow said.
Additionally, Farrow noted other concerns at the school which included leaks in the roof of the music suites, library and reading room, as well as 15 to 20 high-power lights not functioning. He indicated the leaks in the rooms have been there from the school's inception. However, Principal Farrow did share some good news with the senator. He indicated that a representative from Clearwater Consulting had recently presented the school with a check of $4,500 for which they purchased five new computers for the library.
The principal also told the senator of a need for a sound system in the 1,000 seat auditorium. Presently, the auditorium is furnished with a public announcement system which Farrow says is "woefully inadequate" especially if there are more than 100 students in the auditorium. "Additional students require additional speakers," he said. Senator Davis said the BCB auditorium should have been fashioned after the Charlotte Amalie High School Auditorium, which has a state-of-the art sound system.
Senator Davis then visited the Leonard Dober Elementary School where he met with Principal Elise Warner who presented him with a list of pressing issues at the school. Topping the list of priorities is funding for the renovation of two buildings adjacent to the school for additional space. "We are at a lost for space and there is an urgent need for expansion," Warner said. The principal pointed out that the back walls of the buildings are the back wall of the school, which would eliminate the students from having to walk on the street.
Other problems cited by Principal Warner include leakage in the upper level concrete roof as well as a lower level classroom, the need for a new stove in the kitchen, the beginning stages of a rotten staircase, bathrooms without stall doors, dilapidated urinals and tiles falling off the walls.
Senator Davis said he will do his utmost best to address the issues at BCB Junior and Dober Elementary Schools. "I will do my best to get things done. Now is the time for action," Davis concluded.
