Detroit announces city-wide school inspections
DETROIT (WJBK) - The new announcement of inspections for all Detroit public schools came Wednesday after city officials toured some of the buildings.
Mayor Mike Duggan is asking the heads of the Building, Safety, Engineering and Environmental Department and Detroit Health Department to begin immediate inspections of all Detroit public schools.
In a release, the city's inspections started Tuesday at Spain Elementary Middle School and by the end of January, inspections will be complete on all 20 DPS school buildings believed to be most problematic.
By the end of April all 97 DPS building inspections will be completed. In the meantime, charter school inspections will also be conducted, the city says.
Duggan is asking teachers and parents to report problems using the City of Detroit’s website. The new application went live today at: www.detroitmi.gov. The form allows citizens to report building problems such as heating and cooling issues, mold, structural issues, electrical and fire hazards.
City departments will follow up with inspections based on public reports. The direct link for the reporting form is bit.ly/SafeSchoolsDetroit.
If code violations are found, BSEED will take appropriate action to make sure that the violations are understood, along with the required repairs and the timeline for completing them. If any potential health hazards are identified, the Department of Public Health will also conduct an investigation to assure both compliance and a healthy environment for students and teachers.
“This effort isn’t about blaming anybody,” Duggan said. “It’s about making sure that every child and every teacher in Detroit goes to school in a safe and healthy environment. We’ve been assured by Emergency Manager Earley that DPS will respond promptly to correct any deficiencies found in these inspections and we look forward to working with the district to resolve these problems.”