Cold snap exposes cracks in upkeep of timeworn schools
Source: Associated Press
David Mcfadden and Carolyn Thompson, Associated Press
Updated 4:55 pm, Wednesday, January 10, 2018
BALTIMORE (AP) — The recent spell of cold weather exposed the poor state of school buildings in many big-city districts, including Baltimore, where the failure of heating systems closed dozens of institutions after children were left shivering in frigid classrooms.
Schools were challenged in other cities affected by the cold snap, including Philadelphia and Bridgeport , Connecticut's largest city, as pipes burst, heating units froze and other pieces of decades-old infrastructure gave out under the strain of record-breaking cold.
It's no wonder; investment in school construction and maintenance has been falling steadily since the recession, according to an analysis by The Associated Press.
Experts who have been sounding alarms about the state of many public school buildings say the problems that struck last week are a direct result of years of inadequate funding for basic upkeep. The need is especially great in urban centers where older buildings serve poorer children and maintenance is often put off until it becomes an exponentially more costly emergency repair, said Mary Filardo, executive director of the nonprofit 21st Century School Fund, which advocates for better facilities.
Read more: http://www.chron.com/news/us/article/Cold-snap-exposes-cracks-in-upkeep-of-timeworn-12487522.php
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Crews have been working around the clock to restore heat to the Whitmore Avenue school, which requires some of the most serious repairs of any of the roughly 85 city schools that experienced bursting pipes or heating problems amid an extended cold spell last week, according to city and school officials. The problems prompted widespread public outrage after photos of city students huddled in frigid classrooms went viral.
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All Baltimore City schools were closed Thursday and Friday last week after snow and freezing temperatures impacted the region.
On Monday, all public schools in the Baltimore metro area — including those in the city — dismissed three hours early in advance of a winter storm that left much of the region under a thin layer of ice.
On Tuesday, all city schools opened late because of ongoing icy conditions — but six were closed due to facility issues.
By Wednesday, only Calverton remained shuttered. end snip
you got to maintain stuff.
charter schools and useless efforts such as "testing." My heart breaks for how children suffer due to this endless greed 
