The Cupertino Courier

CUSD OKs guide for construction safety

By Katherine Petersen

The Cupertino Union School District board voted 4-0 to adopt a health and safety guide for construction projects at its Oct. 28 meeting.

Debbie Bakker, one of three McAuliffe Elementary School parents who spoke at the meeting, had mixed emotions about the guide's adoption.

"We really feel this is a step forward, and we feel good about the district adopting this policy, but I had two more items that I felt were missing."

Bakker wanted the district to commit to four months of long-term ventilation after major construction projects, and said the document only contained ventilation guidelines for after painting and carpeting. The document doesn't instruct teachers to evacuate classrooms that have bad odors from construction, she added.

Not all major construction projects are the same, and they will require different lengths of ventilation time, said Jerd Ferraiuolo, CUSD's director of facilities modernization. "We recognize the need for long-term ventilation but don't want to be tied down to a specific amount of time," he said.

He said the document addresses emergency-preparedness procedures, already in place, that tell teachers to evacuate a classroom that smells bad.

"Emergency-preparedness plans are posted in each room," he said.

Trustee Barry Chang did not attend the meeting but was aware that the vote would take place.

The board felt it was time to approve the document without further changes, but has agreed to review it annually.

"I think it's a strong document that demonstrates our commitment to health and safety during construction," said board member Debbie Byron.

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