BASEMENT WATERPROOFING IN Farmdale

As states rethink school accountability under the Every Student Succeeds Act, policymakers often overlook information that goes to the heart of what might be the most fundamental question for any parent: Does my child feel safe?

Data about the real inner workings of schools, from teacher morale to academic culture to student safety, are rarely rated, and almost never reported.

Los Angeles, however, conducts comprehensive school climate surveys of teachers and students and — unlike almost every other major district — makes the full data set available to the public.

I’ve taken a slice of the data — questions pertaining to school order and safety — and placed it on a Google map so parents can quickly and easily see what students and teachers at their schools are saying. The data reflects responses from 786 district and charter schools across the city that participated in surveys given in the 2015–16 school year, the most recent available. (The district reports having “over 900” traditional public schools as well as 187 charters.)

Here are the city’s elementary and secondary schools, color-coded to reflect the responses to survey questions about school safety; you can scan and zoom below, or click here for a full-screen version that you can search by address or specific school name.

Again, to take stock of the individual survey results, click on the green, yellow. or red pin and see the pop-up window. (Click here for a full breakdown of the methodology behind the map.)

Elementary schools were coded as green/safe where less than 10 percent of students did not report feeling safe most or all of the time; schools where 10 percent to 20 percent of students did not report feeling safe were coded as yellow/somewhat safe; schools where more than 20 percent of students did not report feeling safe were coded as red/less safe.

Secondary schools where less than 25 percent of students did not report feeling safe were coded as green/safe; schools where 25 percent to 40 percent of students did not report feeling safe were coded as yellow/somewhat safe; schools where 40 percent or more of students did not report feeling safe were coded as red/less safe.

For some schools, Los Angeles reports data across several grade spans; in those cases, I averaged each observation.

At Coliseum Elementary, 45 percent of students say they do not feel safe at school and 81 percent say bullying is a significant problem.

Teachers seem to agree that things are not going smoothly — 64 percent say their discipline practices are not effective, and 52 percent say disruptive behavior is a significant problem.

Fewer teachers at Edwin Markham Middle School believe that their discipline practices are effective than just about any other school in LAUSD: A whopping 92 percent say the way they try to handle misbehavior isn’t working. Ninety-two percent of staff also say student disrespect of teachers is a significant problem (70 percent of students admit that).

Students and teachers are also on the same page regarding bullying: 77 percent of teachers and 82 percent of students say it’s a problem. Two-thirds of students at Edwin Markham say they don’t feel safe, and given everything else, it’s unfortunately easy to imagine why.

In general, the differences between neighboring schools in Los Angeles are less striking than in New York City. This may be due in part to policy, or the fact that while a significant majority of charter schools in NYC participate in the climate survey, only a sliver of LA charters do so. It’s entirely possible that charters are offering a safer option for students in LA than in NYC — but unfortunately, there’s no way for parents to know whether that’s true.

City Terrace Elementary School is, according to students and teachers, the safest and most orderly elementary school in East Los Angeles. Only 7 percent of students at City Terrace say they don’t feel safe at school, compared with 22 percent at Robert F. Kennedy Elementary School, 22 percent at Harrison Street Elementary, and 17 percent at William R. Anton Elementary School.

Some of the most disorderly and dangerous schools in Los Angeles can be found, as sadly may not be a surprise, in Watts. When you hover over the neighborhood, however, there does appear to be one bright spot: Thomas Riley High School. It’s the safest in Watts — and it specializes in serving teenage mothers.

Max Eden is a senior fellow at the Manhattan Institute, specializing in education policy. See a similar breakdown of schools in New York City, and click here to read Max Eden’s analysis of lessons he learned from compiling and mapping these data.

Get the latest news about school climate and school safety, as well as access to new interactive tools that better help parents understand their neighborhood and school district, by signing up for The 74 Newsletter.

The proposed indoor sports facility would feature a turf field and batting cages. The project cleared a Planning Board step Tuesday.

A proposed 52,000-square-foot indoor sports complex cleared a big hurdle Tuesday as Moorestown's Planning Board gave its OK for plans to move forward.

The complex hasn't crossed the finish line, but it rounded a corner on a series of approvals needed to begin the four-building project off of Flynn, Redmond and Glen avenues. The project, dubbed the Field House, still needs final Planning Board approval, construction plan approval and another presentation before the Appearance Committee, among other steps.

Kevin Loftus, a 15-year Moorestown resident and managing member for the proposed Field House, was all smiles after the three-hour Planning Board meeting, calling it a big step in process. Moorestown needs an indoor sports complex, he said, for kids and adults alike to play close to home.

"I've coached in town, my kids play a lot of sports, I'm friends with parents in town, and we all complain about having to drive to Mount Laurel or Cherry Hill," Loftus said. "There's a need. It's going to be opportunity for people to stay in town."

As plans stand, the complex would feature four buildings on what is now a vacant, overgrown lot last occupied by Moorestown Gardens a decade ago. Two existing buildings would be retrofitted, with one partially demolished, and two buildings would go up on the site.

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Features would include an indoor turf field, batting cages, strength and agility training areas and some exercise equipment.

With plans on a roll, the Field House could progress quickly.

"Our goal is to be open for the winter training season," Loftus said. "We've identified that as starting Oct. 1.

"Whether that's too aggressive, because we have a fair amount of work to do on the facility, we'd still like to have buildings one and two—the administrative building and training field—open for use in advance of the winter training season, with the expectation that building three, the large facility, would be built sometime next year and be ready for the 2014 training season."

Traffic, parking and noise questioned

The site is situated now to open to Flynn Avenue, but plans call for Flynn and Redmond avenues to be blocked off with landscaping and berms and the entrance to be relocated through Glen Avenue, which feeds in off of New Albany Road. That change would happen when construction begins, and the Field House would have a Glen Avenue address.

Nearby residents from Farmdale Road asked several questions about the Field House project during the Planning Board hearing, but didn't outright object to any of the plans.

Residents were mainly concerned with traffic, stormwater management and potential noise from the site. In a nod to residents' concerns, Loftus and partners agreed to ensure all lights but security ones are out no later than an hour after the last game.

Loftus anticipates the Field House could open from 6 or 7 am. to midnight, as sports leagues take advantage of pre-work and late night games. But, he stressed, all groups must schedule their time and walk-ins won't be accepted.

Unlike other similar indoor complexes in South Jersey, the Field House won't double as an entertainment spot for loud music or have playground equipment, Loftus promised.

"The loudest things I expect to hear are whistles and cheers," he said.

Tuesday's meeting also had some back and forth over planned parking. A project of this size calls for nearly 300 parking spaces, but the plan asks for a variance for 103 instead. The project's professionals noted it was a conservative estimate based on maximum usage at the Field House. Parking, which is in the back of the building, could be expanded if necessary. The lot ends near several acres of unused space on the 8.4-acre property.

The Field House has the unanimous support of Moorestown's Economic Advisory Committee, that group's chairman Jake Der Hagopian said.

"I'm very encouraged to see this type of use," he said. "It's going to contribute to our local businesses when people leave the facility and go shop or eat on Main Street."

Seth Broder, an attorney representing the project applicants, called the Field House a win for Moorestown.

"The property has been abandoned, neglected and is something that is, frankly, quite an eyesore," he said. The project "will take an eyesore and transform it into a top-notch facility that will benefit the town immensely with no foreseeable detriment."

You tell us: What do you think of the Field House plans?

What do parents actually know about what happens at their children’s school?

As states rethink school accountability under the Every Student Succeeds Act, most of the policy discussion revolves around how bureaucrats should calculate ratings that parents rarely see, based on standardized test scores that parents barely credit. The real inner workings of schools, from teacher morale to academic culture to student safety, remain largely a black box for parents.

Few schools rate these important factors, and fewer still report them.

A recent poll of first-generation college students found that 1 in 4 did not feel safe in high school, and nearly 1 in 3 did not feel their high school was an emotionally safe or inclusive place. How many of their parents were aware that their children felt they were in danger at school?

What if there were a safe alternative across town, or even half a block away? Would families even know that?

Parents deserve better. So today, I’m introducing a new, intuitive, interactive tool to show what can be done to make basic data accessible to parents and help them answer perhaps the most fundamental question: Does my child feel safe?

I’ve chosen the two largest school districts in America, New York City and Los Angeles, for a very simple reason: Unlike many cities, New York and LA conduct comprehensive school climate surveys. And, unlike most major districts that conduct surveys, they make the full data set available to the public.

I’ve taken a slice of the data from the 2015–16 school culture surveys, questions pertaining to school order and safety, and placed it on a Google map so parents can quickly and easily see what students and teachers at their schools are saying — as well as how their school compares to others nearby. (Click here for a detailed explanation of how these maps were created and how school surveys were used.)

Here are New York City’s schools, color-coded to reflect the survey results; you can scan and zoom inside the map below, or click here for a full-screen version that you can search by specific address or school name.

To take stock of the individual survey results, click on the green, yellow, or red pin and see the pop-up window:

And here are similar groupings, mapped out across Los Angeles: you can scan and zoom below, or click here for a full-screen version that you can search by specific address or school name.

Again, to take stock of the individual survey results, click on the green, yellow, or red pin and see the pop-up window:

What percentage of teachers say order and discipline are maintained? What percentage say disruptive student behavior is a significant problem? Do students think their peers are respectful? Do they feel safe in the hallways of their school?

Parents in America’s two largest cities can now get a glimpse inside the black box, and see how their child’s school compares to one down the street.

Consider: A New York mother who sends her child to P.S. 306 in Brooklyn might be alarmed to learn that 68 percent of students say physical fights occur “most” or “all” of the time, 80 percent of students say their peers don’t respect each other, and 80 percent of teachers say order and discipline aren’t maintained.

Whereas, less than a half mile away, at Achievement First East New York, 10 percent of students say physical fights occur frequently, 35 percent report disrespect, and only 2 percent of teachers say order and discipline aren’t maintained. (You can see several more eye-opening case studies from New York City here — and navigate the city for yourself.)

A Los Angeles mother who sends her child to Barton Hill Elementary School in San Pedro may be disturbed to learn that 33 percent of students say they don’t feel safe, 82 percent say bullying is a problem, 83 percent of teachers say that disruptive behavior is a significant problem, and 92 percent of teachers say discipline is ineffective.

Whereas, less than a half mile away, at Crestwood Street Elementary School, less than a quarter of teachers think discipline is ineffective, less than a fifth think disruptive behavior is a significant problem, and only 37 percent of students say bullying is an issue. (You can see several more eye-opening case studies from Los Angeles here — and navigate the city for yourself.)

And all residents of both cities can see the depressing fact that poverty and school disorder track closely, but also hopeful signs that some schools are beating the odds.

The hope is that these maps will spark calls and conversations. Parents, armed with the knowledge of what students and teachers think, should call their schools and press them to do better. Principals, armed with data from other schools, should call their peers to have a conversation about what’s working and how to adopt it.

More urgently: Parents in districts that have school surveys but don’t share the data as openly as NYC and LA should press their school boards for more transparency, and parents in districts that don’t conduct any surveys at all should demand these data.

The data show every sign of being consistent and reliable: In both cities, there is a high correlation between students’ and teachers’ views of safety in their schools, suggesting that respondents are answering consistently and faithfully.

Elementary and secondary schools in each district are color-coded on the map: green means safe, yellow means somewhat safe, and red means less safe, judging by the percentage of students or teachers who give a negative answer to a consistent question. Admittedly, the coding is discretionary, but if, for example, more than a third of students in a NYC middle school say physical fights occur “most” or “all” of the time, it seems fair to assume something bad is happening.

Again, a longer discussion of the data and methods behind these maps can be found here. And you can click here for more snapshots and in-depth discussions of the New York City and Los Angeles findings.

Please browse through, take note and, most important, share this tool with other parents you know in New York or LA.

Max Eden is a senior fellow at the Manhattan Institute, specializing in education policy. Get the latest news about school climate and school safety, as well as access to new interactive tools that better help parents understand their neighborhood and school district, by signing up for The 74 Newsletter.

Multiple people were hurt at an Amish farm by one of three tornadoes that touched down and did some serious damage in central Pennsylvania on Friday, May 27, authorities say.

In less than one minute the first tornado touched down and destroyed a pole barn, moved a “very heavy farming auger” approximately 100 yards, lifted the roof off of an outbuilding, destroyed a pole barn, and forced an outdoor shed off of its foundation when it touched down on Hartzok Road in Franklin County at 11:45 a.m., according to a release by the National Weather Service.

The tornado then crossed the road and damaged a roof, fields, and snapped trees before it disappeared, NWS reports.

Nearly an hour later, a separate tornado tipped over a trail on Long Gap Road in Carlisle, Cumberland County, at 12:42 p.m., again lasting less than one minute, according to NWS.

The final tornado touched down in Lancaster County traveling from Kirkwood to Christiana between 2:11 and 2:16 p.m., NWS said in a statement.

It first touched down in the 400 block of Maple Shade Road, damaging trees and a building’s siding before blowing through a field behind the post office on Kirkwood Pike and slamming into a cinder block shed— carrying contents from inside the shed— before destroying another small shed— and again, gather and dropping the debris in the area hundreds of yards away, according to the release.

Then the tornado intensified with wind speeds up to 86 to 110 mph as it moved northeast— completely destroying a large barn, and partially destroying a second barn— completely removing one wall, partially removing another, and pulling off half of the roof on Farmdale Road, the release shows.

Flying debris caused minor injuries to one person on the property, before it moved on to rip up trees, dent a silo, and plow fields along its path through East Salem and Ridge roads, officials say.

The Amish farm property on Rosedale Road experienced the most damage with two barns and a shed destroyed, and “wooden beams from one of the barns were carried by the tornado as projectiles that penetrated through the (northwest) facing wall of another barn on the property,” a silo top was removed, and a home on the property being heavily damaged, officials stated in a release the following Tuesday.

The home had siding damage and a basement— where two people were sheltering from the storm—collapsed, leaving the pair injured with “minor cuts and scratches to at least two people taking shelter in the basement, according to the release.

The tornado continued to another farm, removing the roofs off two barns, partially removing the roof off another, damaging two silos, and collapsing a shed along Highland Road, the release details.

It finally began to slow down and dissipate after it removed the roof of a three farm’s barn on Rynear Road near Bells Run, according to the NWS.

All three tornados are considered weak on The Enhanced Fujita Scale.

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ONTARIO -- A building that once housed the Ninja Steakhouse has recently been sold for $600,000, according to property transfers from the Richland County Auditor's Office.

The property at 2284 W. Fourth St. was sold by Ye Sisters, LLC, to Chen Mayflower, LLC.

Li Ying Chen is listed as the agent for Chen Mayflower, LLC, according to business records filed with the Ohio Secretary of State. It was formed on Feb. 19. The building is currently being remodeled.

The Ye Sisters, LLC, was formed in October of 2014 with Min Pan of Findlay, Ohio, as the agent. This LLC was dissolved on July 26, 2018, according to Ohio Secretary of State records.

1977 Cliffwood Drive, Mansfield; Joseph and Johnis Gribbin to Cindy Shasky; $92,900.

1368 Brookpark Drive, Mansfield; Walter and Janice Ferger to Stanley Hobson; $188,000.

465 Hammond Ave., Mansfield; Dann Simmons to Nicole Krause and Mark Cooperwood; $24,000.

2240 Whippoorwill Lane, Mansfield; Kenneth Goff, successor trustee of the Helen Stanton Trust, to Gene and Linda Bowman; $130,000.

1012 Burkwood Road, Mansfield; Barbara Smith to Anthony Fuhrman; $159,000.

595 Woodville Road, Mansfield; Everbank to CAN Property Investments, LLC; $19,000.

33 Clifton Ave., Mansfield; JP Morgan Chase Bank to Larry Merwine; $31,250.

342 Davis Road, Mansfield; Walter and Kay Ruess to Christopher and Alexis Winters; $124,900.

21-23-25-27 North Main Street, Mansfield; CitiChurch, Inc., to Richard McCready, trustee, and Marilyn McCready, trustee; $115,000.

411 Luther St., Mansfield; Richland County Sheriff J. Steve Sheldon on behalf of Kevin Blaney, to Adam Thornton; $21,000.

490 McPherson St., Mansfield; Laurie and James Mooney to Robin Adams and Lisa Adams; $5,000.

859 S. Main St., Mansfield; Richland County Sheriff J. Steve Sheldon, on behalf of Kevin Blaney, to Larry Merwine; $22,000.

468 Old Mill Run Road, Mansfield; Byrne Services, LLC, to Mary Marshall; $160,000.

1545-1547 Silver Lane, Mansfield; Marilyn Estep to GLB Holdings, LLC; $95,500.

144 Ohio St., Mansfield; Deutsche Bank National Trust Co. to Latonya Crawford; $1.

561 Crescent Road, Mansfield; Christopher and Rachel McKinniss to One House at a Time, LLC; $47,900.

715 McPherson St., Mansfield; 715 McPherson Street, LLC, to Alma Kososky; $20,000.

924 Linden Circle West, Mansfield; Teresa Anderson, trustee of the Knee Family Trust, to Kenneth and Janet Bishop; $144,000.

401 Davidson St., Mansfield; Debra Kisner, executor of the estate of Marlene Corns, to Richard Tilton; $59,900.

519 Park Ave. West, Mansfield; AWBD, LLC, to David Rummel and Naya Laurent; $17,550.

443 Marion Ave., Mansfield; Anthony and Angela Persky to Amber and Cory Hickman; $88,000.

1310 Bridgewater Way North, Mansfield; Constance Goodman and Karen Seevers to Patricia Thompson Dubose; $250,000.

1659 Wilmington Point, Mansfield; Joetta Goodman, trustee of the Joetta Goodman Living trust, to Kara Kapustar; $158,900.

1640 Wilmington Point Drive, Mansfield; Walter and Linda Hunsinger to Robert and Mary Ann Konstam; $234,900.

1099 W. Fourth St., Ontario; 1099 West Fourth, LTD, to Chiqski Properties, LLC; $205,000.

580-582 Park Avenue, Mansfield; Kurt Stimens, trustee of the Kurt Stimens Revocable Living Trust, to JBR Holdings; $140,000.

631 Johns Ave., Mansfield; CT Homes, LLC, to A&M Properties of Mansfield, LLC; $6,500.

477 Wayne St., Mansfield; Christopher Risner, executor of estate of Roy Risner, to Shawn Sydnor; $6,000.

452 Cherry St., Mansfield; Gary Bowling to Clear Creek Rentals, LLC; $12,500.

2697 Peterson Road, Mansfield; Steve and Tondalea Frazee to Simpson Homes, LLC; $8,000.

105 Columbia Ave., Mansfield; MPW Redux, LLC, to Brook and Marjoe Taylor; $4,000.

130 Lasalle St., Mansfield; Mary Terry to Tien and Yun Ing Chang; $46,000.

39 E. Cook Road, Mansfield; Earl James and Joy Geib to Eric Kovach; $68,000.

340 E. Fourth St., Mansfield; Mark Wallace to HR Enterprises, LLC; $110,000.

232 Fifth Ave., Mansfield; Simpson Homes, LLC, to Devin Arnett; $5,500.

460 Birchlawn Boulevard, Mansfield; Andrew Harsh, sole trustee of the Robert O. Hall Keystone Inheritance, to Michael and Vivian Holzmiller; $134,000.

2674 State Route 13, Mansfield; Sheri Gross and Michael Baldridge to Kay Fannin and James Simones, Sr.; $186,000.

Lot(s), Rock Road, Ontario; Stephen and Kingkarn Shoup to Affordable Housing of Mansfield, LLC; $5,000.

1192 Cobblefield Drive, Ontario; Chong Sun Cha and Hyun Jung Cha to Susan and Rodney Collins; $160,000.

3820 Horizon Drive, Ontario; Seigneur Fox Construction, LLC, to John and Diane Gurki, co-trustees of the Gurik Family; $396,000.

15 Williams Court, Shelby; Eric and Erin Howarth to Timothy and Angela Carroll; $95,500.

VILLAGE OF BELLVILLE

109-111 School Street, Bellville; Kurt Stimens, trustee of the Kurt Stimens Revocable Living Trust, to MATKIM Holdings, LLC; $84,000.

VILLAGE OF LEXINGTON

73 Essex Circle, Lexington; Kent and Kathy Lester to Heath and Stacie Whitehair; $110,000.

VILLAGE OF LUCAS

BLOOMINGGROVE TOWNSHIP

32.5 acres, Amstutz Road and Rome-Greenwich Road; Ervin and Almeta Sensenig to James and Alta Sensenig; $350,000.

447 State Route 603, Shiloh; Jeffery and Kristy Bradford to Ethan Walter; $70,000.

CASS TOWNSHIP

1617 State Route 603, Shiloh; Wilson and Norman Newsanger to Galen and Jennifer Newswanger; $180,000.

FRANKLIN TOWNSHIP

4390 Teresa Drive, Shiloh; Randal Robinson, successor trustee or the Robinson Family Revocable Living Trust, to Michael and Charlene Rock; $157,500.

JACKSON TOWNSHIP

2830 Plymouth-Springmill Road, Shelby; Andrew and Marcia Biglin to Jeffrey and Meghan Turner; $170,000.

JEFFERSON TOWNSHIP

MADISON TOWNSHIP

North Stewart Road, Mansfield; SSM, Inc., to McDonald's Real Estate Co.; $90,000.

610 Crall Road, Mansfield; Jeffrey and Dee Luttrell to Erick Schell and Michelle Applegate; $147,000.

1633 Hickory Lane, Mansfield; Estate of David Pesec to Dwight and Terri Whaley; $80,000.

MIFFLIN TOWNSHIP

2161 State Route 430, Mansfield; Richland County Sheriff J. Steve Sheldon, on behalf of K.T. Golf, Inc., to Megan Blaney; $40,000.

2278 Sprucewood Drive, Mansfield; U.S. Bank National Association to Frank Nemeth III and Frank Nemeth Jr.; $50,505.

961 Laver Road, Mansfield; Marc and Deborah Harris to Michel and Carolyn Geib; $117,500.

MONROE TOWNSHIP

2130 E. Hanley Road, Lucas; Jerome and Caroline Bickimer, co-trustees, to Jason and Crystal Reed; $249,500.

PERRY TOWNSHIP

2970 Bellville Johnson Road, Bellville; Monroe and Linda Miller to Marcus and Rachel Parker; $127,000.

PLYMOUTH TOWNSHIP

7751 State Route 98, Plymouth; Joshua Handshoe to Gregg Davis; $13,000.

8058 State Route 98, Plymouth; Rachele Weiss to James Burton and Rebekah Perry-Fearing; $22,000.

292 acres, Plymouth Township; Orva and DeeDee Dawson to Duane Dick et all PLL; $2,112,500.

SANDUSKY TOWNSHIP

5427 State Route 309, Galion; Reginald and Susannah Lowe to Newman Technology, Inc.; $130,000.

SPRINGFIELD TOWNSHIP

TROY TOWNSHIP

4184 Schmidt Road, Lexington; Robert and Christina Bennington to Bradley and Eliana Sorrenti; $225,000.

2.015 acres, Grubb Road, Lexington; Andrew Walker, Michael Walker and Charles Walker to Derek Zeiter; $22,000.

1970 Graham Road, Mansfield; Michael and Carmen McKinley to Brady and Jaclyn Dodson; $287,000.

WASHINGTON TOWNSHIP

68 Gatton Drive, Bellville; William and Shanna Wake to David and Patricia Mann; $165,000.

40.32 acres, East Hanley Road, Little Washington; Connie Lehman to James Wilson, trustee of the James Wilson Living Trust; $95,000.

1336 Kings Corners Road, Lexington; Larry and Joan Harter to Jeff and Kathleen Wojcehowicz and Lyndsey Wojechowicz; $239,800.

1224 Pleasant Valley Road, Mansfield; J. Sauder Construction, LLC, to Kevin and Debora Hardesty; $275,000.

WORTHINGTON TOWNSHIP