On Friday, Aug. 19 Wayne Bleau, assistant superintendent for management for the North Syracuse Central School District, was informed by Mossien Associates Architects, P.C., the district’s architectural firm, that exterior walls at the Gillette Road Middle School building were improperly installed. The district became aware of this issue when the architect investigated concerns related to the renovations that were made six years ago. The district was advised that due to the improperly installed exterior walls, there is the potential for the safety glass to become unstable (if faced with winds in excess of 75 miles per hour) in specific areas of the building.

The district contacted the New York State Education Department and the determination was made that the building is safe for occupancy. While there is not an immediate danger, to ensure the safety of the school’s students and staff, the district has done the following:

· Developed a high wind monitoring plan, which was approved by the New York State Education Department. The plan calls for students to be relocated or dismissed upon notification that wind speeds are expected to be equal to or greater than 50 mph.

· Letters were mailed to parents on Aug. 31 informing them about informational meetings.

· A staff meeting was held on Sept. 1.

· Developed a plan with its architectural firm and submitted it to the New York State Education Department for approval to correct the improper exterior wall installation.

Board of Education President Pat Carbone is happy with the istrict’s rapid response to this issue. He believes “the istrict has worked diligently to keep the board informed regarding the misconstruction at Gillette Road Middle School, their safety plan and how the situation will be corrected so that our students can continue learning in the safest environment possible.”

Informational meetings will be held at Gillette Road Middle School in the auditorium at 2 p.m. Friday Sept. 2 and at 7 p.m. Tuesday Sept. 6.