LASD Board Meeting June 19, 2023: The Disposal and Introduction of Obsolete Chemicals

[XLFD]

Schools typically have three school board meetings during the summer and since there is not usually a lot going on in the district, one sees most of the actions at such meetings deal with prospective matters for the next school year, and retrospective activities reflecting on the one just passed.  Ludington Area School District's (LASD) Board meeting on June 19 (Juneteenth for those so inclined) featured both and offered a couple of interesting asides.

Before the well-attended meeting, the board (minus President Steve Carlson) held their annual budget hearing, going over the $30 million they will amass and spend over the next school year.  Relevant at this hearing, presented by Financial Administrator Laura Jacobs, was that they plan on spending the last of the ESSER funds issued during the first two years of Covid-19, have a 9% fund balance at the end of this last year, and will receive roughly $9608 per student.  

The modest attendance was due in part to the recognition of two student athletes bringing along their support team.  First it was Jennah Skiba, a sophomore who finished fourth at state in number three girls singles and then it was Trey Forfinski, who also finished fourth at state, but in pole-vaulting.  Both were presented with awards in recognition.

After losing half of the audience it came time for public comment, and Todd Schipper began by talking about teacher evaluations.  He was disappointed by not getting one this year and wanted a more precise policy that would regularly judge teachers so the LASD could retain good ones.  I went next:

XLFD:  "The district has benefitted from a lawsuit against Juul and is likely to do so in a lawsuit against social media, due to their harmful effects on our children.  Yet our children, who have their own choice as to whether they should vape or participate in social media, have no choice because of unilateral school board actions as to whether they will be exposed to a lengthy list of toxic materials, carcinogens, and a material that can have very lasting effects on respiration in a very short time of exposure whenever they play on the artificial turf being installed at Oriole Field.

Apparently, Christman Company finally supplied the school with material safety data sheets regarding this project on May 30, several days after their contractors excavated 2 acres of topsoil at Oriole Field in preparation for our community's contamination.  What is going into the 2 acre landfill?  I have relevant portions of the data sheets right here.  Allow me to do the job you have refused to do (for two months) since 2019 in ushering this project in by telling you a small portion of the health problems associated with the artificial turf going in.  

The recycled rubber infill has a MSDS from 2015, before several studies on crumb rubber were made by various scientists, including the one I shared with you in April, showing 197 suspected carcinogens in such rubber, and six known carcinogens.  Nothing about that here, minor issues about inhalation or introduction to eye or nasal membranes, and when it addresses toxicology on page 58 it goes down a long list where each answer is the same:  "data not available".

Then there is crystalized silica another major component of the turf's infill. best compared to very fine sand or even crushed glass.  It's first page tells us that it's a carcinogen and can cause serious respiratory issues, the worst being silicosis where it gets in your lungs, creates tears and scar tissue, that over a fairly short time of exposure can lead to very labored breathing and death.

At each seam in the turf you will see a heavy-duty adhesive, to keep the carpet down; in that adhesive there are four organic materials, veritable tongue twisters all, but their effects are all the same, they are acutely toxic when inhaled or absorbed through the skin in small doses.  Why weren't you aware of those dangers when you approved this contract earlier this year, and why weren't those data sheets available to you and the public?  Why didn't you insist on seeing these dangers in the course of over four years and talk about them openly, as Former Superintendent Kennedy said would happen?  [END comment, see also Toxifying Oriole Field for more info and data]

                             Clouds of Silica dust forming over a newly constructed artificial field

At the prior meeting, I had indicated that I would be reading some of the age-inappropriate library materials that are made available to elementary children through the Unbounded Library program.  Due to the expected installation of the fake turf before the July meeting, I thought it appropriate to warn them more fully this time about that topic, I even sent each board member the material data safety sheets beforehand.  None have wanted to talk about it at this point, rather they would rather seek praise from people who say "taxpayer dollars are being put to good use", as Local Sports Journal would do later in the week.

The topic would come up later on when the board was discussing a rather large contract $25,000 to dispose of excess chemicals from the district's science labs, with Superintendent Kyle Corlett joking that they could just throw it down with all those other chemicals in Oriole Field.  I had thought the same thing when composing my comment, but I was hoping someone at the meeting might make the connection, and Corlett's dry sense of humor didn't let me down.  They surely could get a better deal if they used the area's HHW program and have the money of their donation go locally, but they voted to go this route.

In other business, the board:

-- approved the budget displayed during the hearing

-- approved renewal of non-homestead tax rate at 18 mills (to be voted on in November 2023 by the district's electors)

-- approved $1.7 million in bond payments for construction of MS/HS

-- approved one year contract extensions for non-union staff at union commensurate rates

-- went into closed session to evaluate the superintendent

[Willy]

Excellent work X.

[madmike]

Seems appropriate

[XLFD]

Ditto on the doctored photo, Willy.

Mad Mike, Mark Twain wasn't a big fan of the public school system, in the same composition (starting on page 370) that quote came from, he talked about how this system was often detrimental to society.  It's remarkable how similar it is to the conservative arguments against how the system is defective nowadays.