Inspections indicate lack of sanitary standards at schools

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Channel 9 dug through health inspection reports over the last month for schools across the area to see if schools are keeping their facilities up to standard as flu cases rise.

North Carolina state inspectors found "water fountains on every hall that were dirty and had algae growing around the spout" at York Chester Middle School in Gaston County, reports say.

They also "observed several restrooms or handwashing sinks that did not have paper towels," according to reports.

"I'm disappointed in hearing about the algae in the water fountain. My kid drinks a lot of water," a parent said.

"If there (are) no paper towels, how are they going to wipe their hands?" another parent said.

Inspectors "observed water fountains with build up inside nozzles" at Hickory Grove Elementary School, which is in the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools district, reports say.

In Union County, reports say inspectors found a handful of sinks where the water wasn't working properly at various schools.  At Rocky River Elementary, they found no soap in some bathrooms, according to reports.

Officials from all of the districts told Channel 9 the issues were fixed, most within hours of the inspection, or work orders were placed to fix them.

"An item, such as a drinking water fountain that needs attention, a restroom soap dispenser that needs soap or lack of paper towels in a restroom, as cited in any inspection report, would be considered an 'urgent matter' and is addressed with a 48-hour time frame," CMS officials said.

Links to inspections:

• York Chester Middle
• CMS
• Union

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