Parents of kids that go to one elementary school are concerned after firefighters had to respond again to smoking heaters at the school.
It happened most recently last week at Johnson Elementary School in Milford. School was canceled for the day while work was done on the heating unit in the media center.
“This is the fourth time firefighters had to respond to smoke emanating from a heater since my daughter started here three years ago,” said Rob Viscount.
He and other parents are concerned the problems causing smoke, will someday lead to a fire.
“When it gets to the point where my kids are called off from another day at school because of smoke or fire in the school, it is an emergency,” said Holly Wilson, who has two children who go to the school.
“The safety of the kids is our number one priority,” said Kim Root, Huron Valley Schools Director of Communications.
She said the school has hired contractors to come in and inspect heaters in the schools. In the next few days they will do that and will suggest what needs to be done to maintain or repair the heating and cooling systems.
The heating system at Johnson Elementary school is believed to be about 60 years old. Parents say they don’t blame school administrators for the fact it has not been replaced.
“My frustration we have isn’t with the administration,” said Viscount.
He says he believes it would have been addressed if voters passed millages for building improvements.
“As a parent I am not happy with the condition of the schools,” said Wilson. “I think it is important that the people who declined to vote for the millage understand what effect that has on our school district.”
The district is not bringing a millage proposal before voters this November, but may try again in the future. School leaders are searching for funding options for the continuously aging infrastructure.
More problems are expected come this winter as severe weather strains buildings.
