Buffalo Teachers Federation seeking court order to stop schools reopening

BACK NOW WITHTHE STATE OFEDUCATION...AND THE RETURNTO THE CLASSROOMMONDAY... FORMANY STUDENTS INBUFFALO.PRE-K THROUGHSECOND GRADE....AND HIGH SCHOOLSENIORS... AREEXPECTED TORETURN FOR IN-PERSON LEARNING.THE DISTRICT SAYSADDED SAFETYMEASURES ARE INPLACE.THERE WILL BE ATLEAST ONE NURSEPER BUILDING... NOMASK BREAKS...AND COVID TESTINGFOR STUDENTS.BUT THE TEACHERSUNION SAYS THESCHOOLS ARE STILLNOT SAFEENOUGH... AND ITWANTS TO HALT THEREOPENING PLAN.HERE'S 7EYEWITNESS NEWSSENIOR REPORTEREILEEN BUCKLEY.PHIL RUMORE.

"WEDID NOT GETSATISFACTORYANSWERS FROMTHE DISTRICT ASTO THE BUILDINGSWERE ALL SAFE."BUFFALO TEACHERSFEDERATIONPRESIDENT PHILRUMORE SAYS THEUNIONREPRESENTINGMORE THAN 38-HUNDREDTEACHERS ISASKING FOR ATEMPORARYRESTRAININGORDER TO STOPBUFFALO PUBLICSCHOOLS FROMREOPENING FORIN-PERSONLEARNING MONDAY.RUMORE."UNFORTUNATELY,WE HAVE TO GO TOCOURT TOPREVENT WHAT WEBELIEVE WOULDBE SERIOUS ANDIRREPARABLEHARM TO OURSTAFF STUDENTSAND PARENTS."RUMORE MET WITHTHE DISTRICT BUTSAYS HE'S NOTCONVINCED THEBUILDINGS ARESAFE.

HE SAYSSOME HAVEWINDOWS THATDON'T OPEN --OTHERS HAVE POORAIR VENTILATION...EILEEN BUCKLEY."EVEN RIGHTACROSS FROM THEBUFFALOTEACHERSFEDERATION -- ATTHIS SCHOOLBUILDING -- ATD'YOUVILLEPORTER CAMPUS --RUMORE SAYSTHERE'SCLASSROOMPROBLEMS."===BUTT===RUMORE.

"THESUPERINTENDENTWENT OVER THERETHE OTHER DAY --TO CHECK IT OUT...WELL AS ITTURNS OUTTHEY'RE NOWHAVING TO ORDERTHESE THOUSANDDOLLAR AIRPURIFIERS FORTHREE OF THEROOMS THAT AREOVER THEREBECAUSE THEYARE UNSAFE."===BUTT===KRINER CASH.

"IINVESTIGATE -- IHAVE STAFF LOOKINTO IT AND IF IT'SSO -- WE RESOLVEIT."BUFFALO SCHOOLSSUPERINTENDENTKRINER CASHSPOKE AT ADISTRICT PUBLICMEETING EARLIERTHIS WEEK.AIMINGTO REASSURETEACHERS ANDSCHOOL FAMILIESBUILDINGS AREREADY FOR THEIRRETURN.EVE SHIPPENS.

"ITHINK THAT WEARE STILL IN VERYDANGEROUS TIMEAS FAR AS THEPANDEMIC GOES."EVE SHIPPENS IS ASCIENCE TEACHERAT EAST HIGHSCHOOL INBUFFALO."EVE -- HOW AREYOU FEELING HOWARE YOU FEELINGABOUT THERETURN TOCLASSROOMS?"===BUTT===EVE SHIPPENS.

"IAM NOT REALLYFEELING GOODABOUT USRETURNING TOCLASSROOMS ONMONDAY."SHIPPENS SAYS SHEIS CONCERNEDABOUT AIR-FLOWISSUES IN OLD, CITYSCHOOLBUILDINGS..EVE SHIPPENS.

"I'MLUCKY..I'M IN ACLASSROOM WITHWINDOWS THATOPEN BUT I DONOW THAT IN SOMEBUILDINGS THEYDON'T HAVEWINDOWS IN ALLTHECLASSROOMS."BOTH SHIPPENSAND RUMORE SAYTHEY DON'T AGREEWITH THE DISTRICTASKING ALLTEACHERS TOREPORT TO THEIRBUILDINGS - - WHENONLY PRE-KTHROUGH SECONDGRADE AND HIGHSCHOOL SENIORSARE THE ONLY ONESINITIALLYRETURNING.IN BUFFALO EB, 7EWN