Teachers at Pontiac school wearing surgical masks
Construction at Pontiac Middle School is causing a dusty mess, and now parents are concerned after some teachers came to school wearing surgical masks over their mouths.
TEACHERS AT ONE PONTIAC SCHOOL SHOWING UP TO CLASS WEARING MASKS. WHAT'S GOING ON INSIDE THE BUILDING. Devin: TOPPING OUR NEWS, ANXIOUS PARENTS ARE TRYING TO FIGURE OUT WHETHER TO SEND THEIR CHILDREN TO SCHOOL TOMORROW. Ruth: A LOT OF THEM ARE TELLING US THEY'RE NOT GETTING INFORMATION THEY WANT AND NEED FROM THE PONTIAC SCHOOL DISTRICT. ROD MELONI IS LIVE WITH THE STORY. WHAT'S THIS ABOUT, ROD? Rod: IT'S ABOUT A CONSTRUCTION PROJECT INSIDE THE SCHOOL. ON MONDAY, THE MIDDLE SCHOOL HERE WAS CLOSED BECAUSE OF A BUILDING PROBLEM. IT WAS A CLASSROOM THAT HAD A STEAM PIPE BURST, AND EVER SINCE, THEY'VE BEEN TRYING TO FIX IT. BUT THERE HAVE BEEN PROBLEMS WITH THE PROJECT AND HAS A LOT OF PARENTS ON EDGE. TEACHERS HAVE A MASK. Rod: HE GOT A SURPRISE WHEN HE PICKED UP HIS SON AT THE SCHOOL, TEACHERS WEARING SURGICAL MASKS. BARBARA SAW THEM THIS MORNING WHEN SHE SAW THE CONSTRUCTION PROJECT. I SAW PART OF THE AREA ALL BLOCKED OFF AND SOME TEACHERS IN THE OFFICE WEARING MASKS AND STUFF. AND NO ONE WOULD SAY WHAT WAS GOING ON OR ANYTHING. Rod: THE DISTRICT IS SAYING THAT ONLY ONE CLASSROOM IS INVOLVED AND BOARDED UP. THE TEACHERS ASSOCIATION PRESIDENT IS SAYING THAT SOME TEACHERS AND STUDENTS ENDED UP WITH ASTHMA ATTACKS AND HAD TO BE TREATED AT A NEARBY HOSPITAL AND THOSE ARE THE REASON FOR THE MASKS. WE'VE HAD A CONVERSATION AND THE ENVIRONMENT IS SAFE. THEY'VE DONE AIR QUALITY TESTS EVERY HOUR. THEY'VE INDICATED THAT THE TESTS DO NOT SHOW ANY ISSUES RIGHT NOW. Rod: THAT IS NOT ENOUGH FOR UPSET PARENTS AND GRANDPARENTS. IF HE GETS SICK NOT BEING PROTECTED, NOT HAVING A MASK AND THE TEACHERS HAVE A MASK, I THINK THAT'S UNFAIR. I'M UPSET THEY DIDN'T TELL US ANYTHING OR LET US KNOW. I WOULD RATHER THEY TELL US AND GIVE US THE DECISION WHETHER OR NOT WE WANT OUR KIDS IN THE SCHOOL. Rod: THERE'S ONE FINAL TEST, A SIX-HOUR AIR QUALITY TEST SENT TO A LAB AND EXPECTED BACK TOMORROW. AND IF IN FACT IT SAYS THERE'S A PROBLEM, THEY WOULD CLOSE THE SCHOOL. BUT AS IT STANDS RIGHT NOW, THE SCHOOL WILL BE OPEN TOMORROW. BACK TO YOU. Devin: HAVE WE HEARD DIRECTLY FROM THE SUPERINTENDENT THERE, ROD? Rod: NO, MOST OF THE INFORMATION WE'VE GOTTEN IS FROM THE TEACHERS UNION PRESIDENT.
