“It’s time for us to stand up and call them out”

By China Boynton

Pompano Beach – Pompano Beach residents have raised concerns over the conditions of some schools operating within Broward County.

There have been numerous reports to the Broward County School District of unclean and unsanitary bathrooms, mold, flooding, and a list of other repairs that have been overdue at the public schools in Pompano Beach.

A meeting was held on September 25 by Florida State Representative Patricia Williams for parents and residents to express their concerns over the conditions of schools like Blanche Ely High School, Sanders Park Elementary, and Robert C. Markham Elementary School.

“The problems that we are discussing didn’t happen overnight and we need to save ourselves,” said Williams.

Fifty concerned residents filled the E. Pat Larkins Center to speak on what they have witnessed when visiting schools in their community.

Vincinte Thrower was one of the first to stand up and speak about his frustration with how long it has taken the community to notice that schools in Pompano Beach are in disrepair and have been for decades.

Former teachers, local activists, and pastors expressed concern over the construction projects that have taken away the dining area for the students at Markham Elementary. Building 1 where the cafeteria is located on the Markham campus is scheduled to be torn down and rebuilt in the next 18 months, meanwhile students are left eating breakfast and lunch in their classrooms.

Alumni for Blanche Ely spoke about witnessing unsanitary conditions throughout the school because of a shortage of custodial staff.

“Something is wrong with the standard that we are accepting this filth in our schools and not demanding that they be clean,” Elizabeth Massey said.

During the meeting, it was announced that Sanders Park Elementary is on the list of schools heading for closure. This could not be confirmed by the Broward County School Board, but students have complained of parts of the roof falling on them while learning, classrooms with no air conditioning and broken equipment in magnet school’s news and media department.

Terry Byrd who owns a contracting business, is a Blanche Ely alumnus and spoke about how the school looks the same as when he attended 10 years ago.

“I did a walk-through with one of my nephews and it was bittersweet because I had great memories however to see the school in the same condition was heartbreaking,” said Byrd.

Byrd offered the services of his contracting business Riggs and Byrd Home Improvement to complete repairs at the school.

The principal for Blanche Ely High School, Tavures Williams and Markham Elementary Principal Shedrick Dukes answered questions as well as brought clarity and assurance that they were working steadily to address the issues at the schools.

One of the next steps discussed was meeting with Mayor Rex Hardin and City Manager Greg Harrison to ask them to join the fight for safe and clean environments for schools in Pompano Beach.

Pat Williams has made her stance on the issue known and spoke about how she planned to stand by the community in this fight for safer schools in minority neighborhoods.

We are a force to be reckoned with and people know that,” Williams said. “Our main goal is to take care of our students for our community and it’s time for us to stand up and call them out.”