Parents and students from the Rochester City Prep Charter School walked out of classes and marched to the Rochester School District building today, after discovering that their building sits on top of groundwater contaminated by toxic industrial solvents.
The school leases space from the CSD in a former Bausch and Lomb building which was a factory from the 1920s to the 1970s. The State Department of Environmental Conservation says the groundwater beneath it is contaminated, and it could pose a health hazard if the solvents migrate to the air inside the building. The City School District says so far, that hasn’t happened, and they’re testing the air regularly to make sure. But parents say they’re not buying it.
Mayor Lovely Warren says the city doesn’t have authority over the school district, but is working with the Charter School leadership and the district to find an alternate location. She says moving the school, even temporarily, is the best option for now.
Mayor Warren says the city is looking at buildings it owns to see if any are suitable. There’s no word how long this might take. The school has some 300 students.