PathStone will not return Head Start to Coaldale Complex

After months of engaging in a will they/won’t they series of correspondence, PathStone has notified Coaldale Borough Council that its Head Start program will not be coming back to the Coaldale Complex. The company notified council it will be executing the section of its lease that allows for a 60-day notice of termination.

The private, not-for-profit company suspended its Head Start services in Coaldale in November after an anonymous complaint was filed concerning the air quality in the former Coaldale High School.

“Initially, PathStone contacted Coaldale Borough Council about the possible issue in October, asking for our cooperation. They hired a firm to do air quality tests, with the results showing an increase in pathogens caused by high humidity and stale air. They hired a firm to remediate the affected areas, which included four classrooms and some office space. The work was supposed to be done over the Thanksgiving break so the children wouldn’t miss any class time. They asked us not to say anything, to avoid panicking parents,” says Coaldale Council President Angela Krapf.

Council offered to help with the remediation costs, as well as speed up plans to replace and increase the HVAC units in the building to improve air circulation.

A repeat test done after the holiday still showed elevated levels, which led council to hire its own remediation specialist, Seitz Brothers. In the meantime, PathStone elected to send its Panther Valley students to its Lehighton facility, notifying parents of the decision in December.

With Seitz Brothers remediating the areas and Coaldale borough workers thoroughly cleaning every surface, all areas of the space used by PathStone were deemed clear, with the exception of two offices which still had slightly elevated levels. Council had the carpeting removed, replacing it with commercial flooring designed for high traffic areas susceptible to high moisture conditions.

During those weeks, Krapf kept in close touch with the center’s local staff, keeping them updated on the progress.

At one point, she was contacted by PathStone’s regional office in Kennett Square and told to “follow their internal chain of command rather than speak to the people locally,” Krapf said. “I told them we weren’t bound by their chain of command, but would also keep them in the loop. It was very frustrating. Our communication with the local staff was excellent.”

By Jan. 14, all the follow-up air tests were clear, so Krapf sent an email to PathStone with that information, asking for an update on when classes would resume and a request to repair a kitchen vent.

The reply was disheartening. While council worried that PathStone would opt to keep the Panther Valley students in Lehighton, for financial and other reasons, “the borough spent tens of thousands of dollars to make sure the cleanup was done properly” Krapf said.

Letters sent to PathStone on Jan. 15 and Jan. 22 elicited a reply from the company’s senior vice president of direct services, Nita D’Agostino, stating the company wouldn’t make a decision until it saw air quality reports concerning the building’s second floor and an addendum was needed to the lease, holding PathStone harmless from all claims and liabilities from the air quality issue. On behalf of council, Krapf responded, attaching the reports related to the first floor space used by PathStone and offering to meet and discuss a lease and renovation options for the second floor.

PathStone’s response was to send a letter home to the Panther Valley parents, saying classes would remain in Lehighton, “due to the borough not cooperating in providing written evidence of all air quality testing reports and all other documentation for the entire building which includes the second floor. It has also been determined that PathStone is not able to come to an agreement with the Coaldale Borough should any future environmental issues related to the building occur if we commit to move back into the facility.”

The lease termination letter to council didn’t mention why PathStone was ending its lease, just that it would end as of March 31, 2019. The Panther Valley Head Start program will now be folded into the Lehighton program, although company officials did tell parents in their letters that they would continue to look for available space in Coaldale.

“The Head Start program has had a presence in Coaldale for 35 years,” says council member Claire Remington. “We’ve bent over backward to provide all their needs over the years. This is such a shame to take this away from the community. I feel bad for the children and their parents.”