School Community Rallies Against "Toxic" Environment At PS 51

By: Lindsey Christ

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As students complain of ailments ranging from migraines to unexplained rashes due to their learning enviroment, parents and teachers are urging the Department of Education and Speaker Christine Quinn to move PS 51, which is currently in the middle of a construction zone. NY1’s Lindsey Christ filed the following report.

Justina Lumaj believes her children's school building made them sick. Her daughter has a chronic rash. Her son suffers from constant migraines. Both have frequent nose bleeds.

She says they're not going back.

“I've pulled out my kids,” said Lumaj. “I pulled out my kids when we got the results of the air quality, when we found out all the horrible soils that are being removed from ground.”

PS 51 is in the middle of a construction site. The city is building a new school directly behind the existing school building, and in the next few weeks, construction on a major housing development will begin on both sides.

Parents, teachers and several environmental specialists say it's all created dangerous conditions and constant noise.

"The students can't even hear us teach, they can't even hear us speaking, they can't hear the exchange of learning going on,” said Shani Perez, a teacher at PS 51. “Inside of our building, the decibels exceed the limit — we only hear the excavating.”

Parents listed their children's ailments at a protest outside of the building Wednesday afternoon.

“Breathing problems, chest pains, headaches, eye infections,” said Dale Cooke. “It was so severe that his doctor wrote a letter.”

Cooke said the Department of Education granted her son and several others a medical transfer, but DOE officials insist that the current school is safe. Still, officials say they are working to move the school to another building temporarily, but only in response to the concerns.

As parents, teachers and students rallied, many blamed their councilmember, Speaker Christine Quinn, for promoting the construction project at the expense of the school's environment.

“She plans to run for the mayor? You better look in her backyard,” said parent Jil Novenski. “This is what it looks like. Children with nose bleeds, children with unexplained rashes, children with migraine headaches and low test scores because they can't hear their teachers teach over the sound of a city block being used to boost her resume.”

Quinn said she supports the school community's desire to move and is working with the DOE to try to find a solution.