PONTIAC, Mich. – Students were moved out of a classroom at a Pontiac school due to concerns about the room’s condition, the district confirmed to Local 4.
The district says it has sent samples from classrooms inside the building that houses Owen Elementary and the John F. Kennedy Center to the Environmental Protection Agency to confirm the space is safe for students and staff.
Local 4 sat down with a longtime district employee and advocate.
Janice Quinn, who is now retired, spends her days advocating for classroom safety.
She’s been doing it for decades, dating back to when she worked at Pontiac schools.
“We are the first avenue of advocacy for our children,” Quinn said.
Quinn’s daughter has cerebral palsy and even attended the Kennedy Center until she was 26 years old.
The center is designed for students with special needs.
About a week ago, Quinn started getting photos of a classroom inside the building.
“My daughter has bad asthma,” Quinn said. “She wouldn’t have been able to stay in there half a day.”
Local 4 reached out to the school regarding the issue, specifically asking what is inside the classroom, who the room serves, whether it has been addressed, and whether there is a plan to remove it.
“The Pontiac School District recently became aware of concerns regarding conditions in one classroom.
As a district with aging facilities, we routinely address building-related issues as they arise and are also working on a broader, long-term plan to improve our facilities as a whole.
Out of an abundance of caution, classes have been moved out of the room while the situation is evaluated.
The district has contacted the Environmental Protection Agency to test samples taken from the classroom, and we are awaiting results to confirm the space is safe for students and staff.
The health and safety of our students and employees remains our top priority.”
Pontiac Schools
“You obviously are someone that has advocated for special needs students in Pontiac Schools for years. How does this make you feel to see something like that happening in a classroom?” Local 4 asked Quinn.
“I want to go get them and remove the kids from that situation,” Quinn said. “How could you do that to these kids?”