The above photo shows the damage that was done by the gas explosion 2 weeks ago at the Kennedy Campus that houses 7 separate schools where JFK High School was. 15 classrooms where the damage was done are closed off by new walls that have been placed in the school on 3 different floors. The 6th story labs in addition to classrooms on the 5th and 7th floors are to be reconstructed sometime early next year when the work to be done is bid out and contractors found. It was said that this contractor working at the explosion site would not be allowed to bid on the contract.
Pictured above from right top left are - Rana Khan (Department of Education), Lorraine Grillo (School Construction Authority), Patrick Wehle (Department of Buildings), Chris Dandrea (Department of Health and Mental Hygiene), John Shea (Department of Education), and Ron Caccioppoli (Department of Education).
The 6 people above were the panel of experts to reassure the parents and others at the poorly attended Town Hall meeting to announce that the 7 schools that make up the Kennedy Campus will open on the first day of school despite the gas explosion 2 weeks prior that has closed off 15 classrooms on 3 different floors of the building.
Mr. Welde of the Department of Buildings assured everyone that the building was structural sound, and that the students would be in no danger in the building that would be open. Various member of the panel tried to assure everyone that students would not be able to enter the closed off rooms to be reconstructed, and that all other entrances to the building and all stairwells would be open. Also mentioned was that any construction work would take place after school hours, and that air quality testing would take place on a regular basis.
Some of the very few parents in attendance complained about the lack of notification process, and that the auditorium should have been overfilled with other parents, but that they were mot notified of the meeting. After hearing that the Department of Education was working with the United Federation of Teachers Union on the opening of the Kennedy Campus, one can only wonder why parents were not involved in that process.
Ms. Grillo of the School Construction Authority answers a question by a parent. It was also said that the 3 workers that were injured in the gas explosion are still in the hospital, and are now getting skin grafts where they were badly burned.
Local Bronx Assemblyman expresses his concerns about the gas explosion and what has taken place afterwards to open the school. To a remark that the Kennedy Campus was underutilized by about 700 students Assemblyman Dinowitz answers back that the old JFK High School housed over 5,000 students compared to the current level of close to 4,000 students in the 7 schools that make up the Kennedy Campus.
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