With the exception of the field house at Cherry Hill High School West, all of the water outlets in the school district have been tested for lead.
Cherry Hill Public Schools has nearly finished testing every water source in the district for lead.
An update on the school district’s water testing was given at Tuesday night’s Cherry Hill Board of Education work session.
During the business and facilities portion of the meeting, committee chairperson Eric Goodwin said testing of all of the water sources district-wide has been completed with the exception of the field house at Cherry Hill High School West.
“All of the water sources that have any signs of lead in them have been shut off,” Goodwin said.
A total of 27 water sources in the district tested above the Environmental Protection Agency’s limit for lead of 15 parts per billion. State Department of Education regulations require all districts to remove or cap any water sources testing above the limit.
The school district unveiled its latest test results during the first week of February. Testing was performed during the winter break at Paine, Knight and Cooper elementary schools and all three middle schools. Testing took place at both high schools and the district’s building, ground and technology building on Martin Luther King Jr. Day.
In November, Cherry Hill Public Schools announced a water remediation plan where the district would replace any outlets testing with any traces of lead. The district’s plan included the installation of filtration systems on sinks, removal of “bubbler” sinks in most classrooms and the replacement of water fountains testing for any traces of lead.
Goodwin said district officials are going through the list of water sources testing positive for any trace of lead to replace them.
The results of the district’s water testing can be found at www.chclc.org/departments/public-information/h20/results.
Second reading for service animal policy to be held at Feb. 28 meeting
Jane Scarpellino, chairperson for the board of education’s policy and legislation committee, confirmed at the work session meeting the board would vote on a revised service animal policy at its next action meeting on Feb. 28.
The policy was originally approved on first reading at the board’s Jan. 24 action meeting. If approved, the revised policy would replace the district’s current policy that is based off a procedure the district adopted in 2006. The policy had not been revised to reflect changes in federal and state laws in recent years.
District officials have not released the draft policy to the public. Scarpellino said at a previous meeting, the district’s revised policy would align it with Americans with Disabilities Act regulations.
District plans to present budget details in March
Assistant Superintendent for Business Lynn Shugars said the district plans to have a presentation detailing the preliminary 2017–1028 budget during the board of education’s March 14 work session meeting.
The school district must adopt a preliminary budget and submit it to the executive county superintendent of schools by Monday, March 20. The final adoption and public hearing on the 2017–18 budget must be held between April 24 and May 8.
