Parents Protest Unsafe Conditions Amid Renovations at Ashkelon Special Education School
Parents of children attending the Eitan Special Education School in Ashkelon have raised serious concerns about ongoing renovations at the facility, which serves children with complex disabilities requiring medical equipment and close care. The parents reported multiple incidents during the construction, including a sewage pipe burst that flooded part of the building and a power outage that disabled essential medical and cooling equipment. These disruptions forced dozens of parents to pick up their children early on Sunday.
One mother described the children as among the most vulnerable in the education system, with some needing ventilators, hoists for diaper changes, and seizure management. She emphasized the dangers posed by the outages, noting that her own son, who is ventilated and nonverbal, was luckily absent during the incidents. Parents also criticized the decision to continue classes amid active construction sites with heavy machinery, dust, and noise, affecting about 60 students still attending the school.
The parents claim these infrastructure problems are longstanding, including frequent flooding and sewage issues, and that a promised move to a new building by January 2027 has not materialized. The Ashkelon municipality responded that the relocation was postponed at the parents’ request to maintain proximity to a therapeutic pool. The city stated the renovation budget is approximately 5 million shekels and is coordinated with the school’s administration and parent committee. They also denied the severity of the complaints, saying the recent incidents were promptly addressed and students resumed full activities the following day.
The Ministry of Education confirmed that oversight bodies are monitoring the situation in cooperation with local authorities. Parents have demanded comprehensive safety and sanitation inspections, citing concerns that no professional disinfection was performed after the sewage flooding. They also criticized the lack of transparency regarding the renovation schedule and safety measures during the construction period.
