METHODOLOGY
In order to begin to determine the extent of possible environmental hazards in schools, from March to June 1999, the Working Group created a survey instrument and conducted a survey of school consumers (See survey in Appendix A; results in Appendix B) Survey respondents included students over twelve, parents, teachers, and other school employees.
Although this survey is only a snapshot of New York City’s 1,100 schools and many more school users, the results of the survey presented in this report are illustrative of the underlying problems in New York City’s public school system.14 Although the results provide only a snapshot of environmental conditions, they are cause for alarm and for immediate further investigations and remedial actions.
The survey was distributed to respondents on a random basis; there was no targeting of ‘environmentally bad’ schools, or sick or disabled students or school employees. This survey was given to AFC clients with a range of educational issues; it was also distributed at parent fairs and parent workshops. Other Healthy Schools Network participating organizations distributed the survey to their members as well. All respondents were guaranteed anonymity. Hundreds of the surveys were distributed, sixty-five completed surveys were returned. The largest percentage of the surveys were filled out by students, thus providing a particular rich source of data regarding high schools.
DEMOGRAPHICS
Over forty-three percent of those responding to the survey were students, 6% were teachers, 37% were parents, and 3% were other school employees. 10% of survey participants chose not to answer this question. The majority of those participating in the survey, 35%, were from Manhattan, 3% were from Staten Island, 12% were from Brooklyn, and 21% were from the Bronx, and 2% were from Queens. (26% of respondents chose not to answer this question.)
New York City has thirty-two physically defined school districts. High schools are citywide and are a separate superintendency. The respondents came from twelve districts; mainly Manhattan and the Bronx, but the other boroughs were represented as well. District 2 in Manhattan was most heavily represented, with four survey respondents; Manhattan’s District 3 and District 9 in the Bronx each had three survey respondents.
Twenty-nine survey respondents were from the City’s high schools and nine more were part of the alternative high school program; sixteen were from elementary schools, and five were from intermediate schools. One survey respondent was from a private, Montessori school, which we believe is part of the City’s universal pre-kindergarten program. In all, respondents reported on conditions in 39 different schools.
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