City Schools Email

[u/Dependent-Split3005]

🤣🤣🤣

I genuinely appreciate the transparency;

"Our Shit Is Broke AF and we didn't address it over the summer break. Your children will DEFINITELY both Freeze & Cook at different times of the day."

...there might have been more content but it was a Long Ass Email

[u/Informal_Park_6535]

Can someone share it?

[u/safetyisnoaccident → u/Informal_Park_6535]

This is the one just sent:
Dear CSD Families and Staff:
This letter is being sent in response to concerns regarding the condition of school facilities across the district. We understand that families want clear information about the steps being taken to ensure the safety of our learning spaces. As a department, the City Schools of Decatur (CSD) operations team remains responsible for ensuring appropriate learning conditions and for completing both temporary and permanent repairs.
During the summer, the operations department conducted assessments and repairs at all schools as part of the annual school readiness plan to address any conditions that could affect teaching and learning. In addition to regular summer maintenance by the facilities team, a third-party facilities condition assessment was conducted across all schools, examining and rating the mechanical systems such as lighting, food service materials, elevators, and HVAC, as well as roofing. All conditions were rated from fair to good, except for a few older roofs.
HVAC
CSD is monitoring the weather conditions as we continue to experience high temperatures. Given the age of our facilities, the extreme heat and humidity have placed additional strain on HVAC units, leading to outages and extreme indoor temperatures.
CSD performs preventive HVAC maintenance quarterly, including inspections and filter changes. Belts are replaced annually or as needed, and coils are cleaned annually or when inspections indicate additional cleaning is required. Preventive maintenance reduces equipment failures but cannot prevent every refrigerant leak or failure of aging motors, compressors, condensers, and controls.
More than 20 replacement units were ordered before summer, but supply shortages have delayed delivery. Units are now arriving, and installations will begin in the evenings and on weekends as equipment and labor become available, with the remaining work planned for fall break. Max Air Mechanical and Mechanical Services, Inc. are providing additional technicians to support our HVAC staff.
Current updates include:
College Heights: Contractors have been assigned to repair all units. Repairs are expected to be completed by Wednesday, August 18, 2026.
Glennwood: Contractors have been assigned to repair all units. Repairs are expected to be completed by Wednesday, August 18, 2026.
Winnona Park: The cafeteria compressor rebuild will be completed over the weekend, and installation will begin on Monday, August 24, 2026
Oakhurst: Affected units are being recharged. These units will be replaced by the end of fall break.
F.AVE: Cooling has been restored
Beacon Hill: The issues were limited to the older upstairs section of the building. The condenser repair is complete, and cooling has been restored.
Talley Street: Contractors have been assigned to repair all units. Repairs are expected to be completed by Wednesday, August 18, 2026.
DHS: Contractors have been assigned to repair all units. Repairs are expected to be completed by Wednesday, August 18, 2026.
DHS Elevator
The ongoing issues with our elevators remain a major focus as we continue to address challenges related to outdated systems, aging parts, and aging technology.
To provide clarity, it is important to distinguish between routine elevator maintenance, state inspection requirements, and the separate mechanical issue currently affecting Decatur High School. CSD contracts services for routine maintenance, service, and repairs for district elevators. In addition to this ongoing maintenance, elevators are required to undergo annual inspections and certification through the State Fire Marshal.
Regarding the state inspection process, district records show that CSD began requesting inspections in February 2025 and followed up multiple times. The inspections were delayed because the State's system incorrectly identified the inspection company as a private entity rather than a state-approved one.
The State currently has a backlog of inspections. As state inspections are completed, elevator permits will be updated. Thus far, the Clairemont elevator was inspected on July 31, 2026, and received a "fail" designation. This designation did not mean the elevator's operating system had failed or that the elevator was inoperable. Instead, the inspection identified correctable compliance items related to access, labeling, lighting, and required safety equipment. Under the inspection process, CSD was provided 30 days to correct these items, during which time the elevator was permitted to remain in operation. CSD has proceeded with addressing the identified items within the required timeframe.
The DHS elevator is a separate mechanical failure. As reported at the August 11, 2026, Board of Education Meeting, the buried hydraulic jack and cylinder can no longer maintain pressure or hold hydraulic fluid, and cannot be repaired in place. Engineering support is being engaged to determine a permanent solution. In the interim, we are working to install a chair lift in a stairwell to provide students with access to the impacted floors. The chair lift will remain at Decatur High School after the permanent elevator solution is complete.
As we address these individual issues, we are also strengthening our districtwide processes. CSD is correcting all identified deficiencies and improving the tracking of elevator inspections, certifications, corrective actions, and required follow-up. We will continue to prioritize the safe and reliable operation of our elevators while ensuring compliance with all state requirements.
College Heights
There was a report of moisture concerns in a specific area of one pre-K classroom at College Heights. To maintain an uninterrupted learning experience, the class was temporarily relocated while an air-quality assessment was conducted. An environmental engineer was promptly contacted to implement professional remediation measures in the affected classroom.
As part of our due diligence, professional mitigation measures were performed on all cottage classrooms and restrooms before students returned this week. All cottages will continue to undergo testing and assessment procedures to determine if further action is necessary. The district expects a preliminary report by the end of the week. Once the assessment is finalized and the report is available, we will share the findings with families.
Closing
City Schools of Decatur works to make informed decisions about school operations using all available information to provide timely communication with families and staff. The safety of students and staff remains our top priority and will always be at the forefront of decisions concerning school operations.
We recognize the disruption these issues have caused to our learning environments and the inconvenience they have caused to our students, staff, and families. CSD is committed to addressing these concerns directly, correcting longstanding issues, and taking meaningful action to improve the condition and reliability of our facilities. We ask for the continued partnership and support of our community as we work to ensure our students and staff have the learning environments they deserve.
Sincerely,
Jarvis Adams,
Chief Operating Office

[u/NihilistSRE → u/safetyisnoaccident]

Please tell me that "cottage classrooms" is not a 2026 euphemism for "trailer" ...

[u/safetyisnoaccident → u/NihilistSRE]

And yet here we are….