SPRINGFIELD -- The School Committee and superintendent pledged to address "with urgency" the daily problems staff at the city's largest elementary school is facing with discarded needles and other drug paraphernalia on its playing fields.
They also promised to convene a joint meeting as soon as possible about Rebecca Johnson School and check with other schools to see if they deal with similar problems.
For at least three years, staff at Rebecca Johnson School have been patrolling the field several times a day outside the school for needles and other paraphernalia and dangers such as nip bottles and broken glass before students go outside for recess, Principal Chris Sutton said.
The issue came to the forefront this summer when City Councilors Lavar Click-Bruce and Brian Santaniello went public about their mission to find ways to crack down on drug paraphernalia at local parks and learned about the problems staff face daily at Rebecca Johnson School.
"I was appalled to learn that our school staff have been tasked with the daily burden of clearing needles and other hazardous items before children can safely play," Superintendent Sonia Dinnall said.
Dinnall, who took over as head of the roughly 23,700-student school district a year ago, said student safety is non-negotiable and praised the dedication of the staff at Rebecca Johnson. She pledged to find ways to help the school as well as reach out to all principals to find out if there are similar problems at other buildings.
"This is challenging work and while staff have handled it with diligence, we must strengthen partnerships and support to make sure they are not carrying this burden alone," she said.
Sutton said he has been seeking permission to close off the field when school is in session by adding gates to fence openings that surrounds the field but so far he has had little success. The McKnight Neighborhood Council endorsed his plan in 2024.
The confusion comes because the large field behind the school where students go outside for recess and physical education is also McKnight Park and technically under the management of the Parks Department instead of the School Department.
Tom Ashe, who took over as director of Parks, Buildings and Recreation Management in April 2024, promised to work with the School Committee and City Council to try to find a solution.
"This is an unfortunate situation, and, sadly, not isolated to this particular park. We make trips to that park and every park in the city several times a week to try to keep up with the continued disrespect for our parks," he said.
Mayor Domenic J. Sarno, who also serves as School Committee chairman, promised to work diligently and swiftly to connect the different departments to find long-term solutions to protect students and give their families peace of mind to know their children are safe at school.
"I take the safety of our students and school communities very seriously. No child or staff member should ever encounter hazardous materials on school grounds," he said.
Other School Committee members said the issue had never been brought to their attention. Vice Chairwoman LaTonia Monroe Naylor echoed other members about the importance of safety for every child and employee.
"We are calling for an immediate meeting with a cross-section of public officials so that together we can ensure all students have a safe environment for learning and play," she said.
Sutton said he hasn't been battling the problem without help. The police C3 unit assigned to the neighborhood respond quickly any time he calls if he has a problem with a person on the grounds or a discarded item he isn't sure how to handle.
There are also external cameras installed in many spots outside the school that serve as a deterrent," he said
The school also works closely with the Deborah Hunt Prevention and Education Center of the New North Citizens Council, which is located across the street. Staff there provides gloves and boxes to deposit needles and other drug paraphernalia safely and will pick up anything staff doesn't know how to handle.
"I am both shocked and deeply disturbed that this issue has gone on for so long without being raised to the level of the School Committee. The safety of students and staff is the most important matter in every school across the city and not just inside the school, but outside also," said School Committee member Barbara Gresham, chairwoman of the board's safety and security committee.