Stranahan High Community Demands Fixes To "Embarrassing" Problems
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FORT LAUDERDALE (CBSMiami) -- Parents, teachers and students gathered at Stranahan High School in Fort Lauderdale on Wednesday to make their voices heard about the state of one of the Broward's oldest high schools.
"I feel honestly embarrassed," said incoming senior Seirra Mitchell.
The problems are many -- a condemned portable with moldy floors and collapsed ceilings, air conditioning and heating systems that routinely shut off, decaying pipes, leaky roofs exposed wires near the pool and holes in the covering where kids eat lunch.
After years of being promised everything from a new school to various upgrades with little to show for it, the school community made their feelings known to Broward School Superintendent Robert Runcie.
"We're over all the excuses and everything and we want to know why it's been so long?" one teacher and alumnae asked.
Students said the condition of the school is a source of humor for students at other schools.
"People make fun of that a lot. Knowing that you're like 'No I don't go there,'" said student Sharena Marsh.
Teachers said the things they see are unacceptable for a learning environment.
"From the mold on the walls to the tiles falling apart to little rat droppings all over," said English and Debate teacher Ellen Lavin. "It's not safe."
Runcie admits that unfulfilled promises were made to Stranahan in the past, before he arrived at the district but he says they are at the top of the list to get tons of repairs after voters passed an $800 million dollar bond referendum last year.
"Stranahan is a priority," Runcie said. "There's work that's being done here at Stranahan as we speak and there's a lot more that needs to be done. Again, over $18 million dollars committed as part of the bond program."
School district leaders laid out a timeline for the repairs, some which are underway now like heating and air conditioning fixes and some that will be done over the coming months and years like fixing the roof. Many who listened to the superintendent's answers on Thursday said they will be keeping a close eye on the work to make sure every penny is spent that Stranahan deserves.
Many parents, like Da-Venya Armstrong, believe the school is past the point of repair and should be rebuilt. She believes the school's condition is damaging morale that cannot be fixed with a few million dollars in upgrades.
"A blind man could see that we need some improvements here," said Armstrong. "If the teachers are not happy, the kids are not happy, what do you think is gonna come out of this building?"
