MIAMI BEACH, FLA. (WSVN) - Concerned parents at a Miami Beach Commission meeting called out what they described as disgusting and dangerous conditions that they said are building up at North Beach Elementary School.
Speaking with 7News prior to the meeting, parent Michelle Lari, whose child attends the school, described what she saw on the campus, located at 4100 Prairie Avenue.
“Cracked foundation, we saw the crumbling stucco, we saw the exposed rebar,” she said.
Wednesday night, parents expressed their fears and frustrations to Miami Beach commissioners during a parent-leader conference.
“The roof structure is not safe, there’s falling tiles, there’s water intrusion, there’s cracking in the floors,” said parent Fred Karlton. “It’s ridiculous how neglected the school’s been.”
Another parent, Derrick Milam, conveyed the severity of the situation.
“The environmental condition of the building has to be assessed. We have kids who’ve gotten sick, we have teachers who’ve gotten sick,” he said.
Commissioners weighed in on the matter.
“They want assurances that the structural aspect of the building is safe and secure, and they have not gotten those assurances yet,” said Miami Beach Commissioner Steven Meiner.
Commissioner Ricky Arriola directed his disapproval at those representing Miami-Dade Public Schools, who were on hand at the meeting to listen to parents’ concerns.
“Their tax dollars pay your salary. You’re going to sit here, and you’re going to let them talk until we solve this,” said Arriola.
Since April, parents here have been seeking answers about what they see on the inside of where their children go to school.
“That’s an everyday occurrence at the school, and behind it, you also see the crumbling stucco here,” said Lari. “The kids used to be able to go up to this and get it with their hands and just rip it off the wall, and it was a hazard, ’cause this is on the second floor. It could’ve fallen to kids on the first floor.”
Lari and others have provided pictures of leaky roofs, cracks, walls with paint and other materials chipping off the building built in 1936.
A picture shows a student walking near a deteriorated portion.
“The students are already used to the condition of their school,” said Lari.
Parents have taken their fears and questions about the building’s structure and general safety to Miami Beach officials at commission meetings and other public gatherings.
“A couple of weeks ago, it was raining so badly that it was actually raining inside of my son’s classroom. A tile fell inside my son’s classroom,” she said. “As of yesterday, people had to be moved to different classrooms because there’s black mold in their classrooms, and it is affecting their health.”
The City of Miami Beach doesn’t have jurisdiction over North Beach Elementary. It falls under Miami-Dade County Public Schools.
“Once you zoom in, you can see all the actual holes in the floor. Here you see the exposed rebar right there,” said Lari as she described a picture.
When asked whether the building is structurally safe, someone representing M-DCPS at the hearing said, “Yes, the building is structurally safe.”
Lari said parents have been trying to learn more about the school system’s plans to address and fix these issues, but they are still waiting to hear more about how, when and whether repairs can be made.
“We all know, with deferred maintenance, the problems multiply. It’s like a cancer; if you don’t treat it, it’s going to metastasize,” said Lari.
Wednesday night, Michael Krtausch with M-DCPS provided an update.
“The plans for the structural concrete repairs are in the building department right now,” he said.
When asked whether the repairs will be finished by the next school year in the fall, Krtausch replied, “All the repairs will be done.”
In an email, a spokesperson for M-DCPS wrote, “Our Chief of Staff along with Our Chief Facilities and Chief Maintenance Officers have been in near daily communication with a group of North Beach Elementary School parents, and we have provided them with updates as it relates to the structural integrity of the building. The District is cognizant of repairs needed by the school, and we are working collaboratively with these parents to provide updates as these matters are being addressed.”
Miami Beach commissioners said they would support a grant of up to $100,000 to go toward independent engineers to come and inspect the school, but that is subject to M-DCPS’ legal approval. Commissioners are scheduled to further discuss the matter in November.
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