No matter what candidates ended up winning the school board election in Lyons-Brookfield District 103 on Tuesday, one thing is certain — the administration needs to nail down the way it operates, in the interest of their own safety.
Superintendent Carol Baker noted in an email to the Landmark regarding a February asbestos complaint that’s being handled by county and state officials that prior administrations had failed to complete or fill out asbestos compliance paperwork and that her administration was saddled with the task of righting that wrong.
We can very well believe the district failed in the past to complete such paperwork and may have even done work without properly abating asbestos. If those things happened, they shouldn’t have and, of course, the present administration is blameless as far as that goes.
But what reportedly happened in February — a late-night project to saw-cut through asbestos floor tile to dig a trench for computer cables — certainly can’t be placed on the shoulders of past officials.
An inspection report indicates that the maintenance director, Ryan Grace, assumed the floor tiles contained asbestos, but he also suggested he didn’t know who cut the floor trench or when it happened.
Follow-up interviews by another county official contradict Grace’s account, with that official indicating he believed Grace lied to the inspector.
In order to remove asbestos, you need a license. It’s not a requirement meant simply to place a roadblock in front of remodeling projects, it’s for the safety of those removing the asbestos and people who have to inhabit the place after the work is done.
The work back in February kicked up enough dust to set off fire alarms. Yet people were back in the building for work the following morning. That’s just wrong.
