ST. LOUIS, MO (KTVI-FOX2now.com) -
Psychiatric medical records of children. The FOX Files found it left out for anyone to see. It happened when Chris Hayes investigated a school abandoned more than ten years ago by St. Louis Public Schools. Historic Arlington Elementary. Drive by it and you'll see what happened to it since the St. Louis Public School District closed it in 1994. The City of St. Louis recently got it in a tax sale and is working on plans to save it.
Alderman Jeffrey Boyd told us, "The longer a building sits the more expensive it costs to rehabilitate it."
As we walked through the old playground with the Alderman -- we found a way inside.
Boyd said, "Oh - wow, I've never been in here before. Didn't even know that door was open."
We followed the alderman and found dozens -- possibly hundreds -- of private files.
Boyd asked, "Are those health records? [Reporter] Mental health records. [Alderman Boyd] Yeah [Reporter] Substance abuse case management [Alderman Boyd] Well that's not nice to have floating around, just laying around for anybody to come by and look at."
They appeared to be psychiatric evaluations, rape crisis details and drug intervention plans.
Alderman Boyd and reporter Chris Hayes read some of the files, "...daughter was born and tested positive for crack cocaine. [And here's an] address."
Personal information including social security numbers and dates of birth.
Boyd said, "That's pretty sad. [Chris Hayes] client daughter is currently in a foster care program. Wouldn't you think they'd need these records ? [Alderman Boyd] you would have thought, but you don't know how they got here either."
We later found they were left behind by a group called "Caring Communities" that rented out the portable building after the school closed. The group worked with troubled students and families until it also closed down around 1996.
We contacted St. Louis Public Schools. A spokesman arranged for everything to be picked up and placed in a secure location while the district investigates. A District spokesman said the files were property of the independent contractor, Caring Communities. He didn't know why the records were left behind. He's still trying to get answers, but says they're now protected.
Neighbor Harden said, "It's been neglect for the past 15 plus years."
Harden grew up across the street from Arlington School.
He said, "They just left us alone."
He's not surprised by what we found. He pointed out that the records are just a small part of what's been forgotten. From his mom's front porch, they can see it all.
Harden's Mom mentioned, "We woke up one day and those lion heads were gone and I couldn't figure it out and I still can't figure out how they got them down from there."
Meanwhile the surrounding neighborhood is fighting to improve, while the school continues to fall. Nearby Friendly Temple says it had plans for the school years ago. The church reportedly asked the St. Louis Public School District if it could buy the building in 1999, but the district reportedly said it might have to bring students back. Then three years later, the District reportedly called to say it was now ready to sell. But when church representatives looked at it, they found a lot changed in those three years and it was now too far gone.
Member Karen Davis said, "People remember in their minds when it was a very vibrant part of the community."
Davis said they're now hearing about new plans. "I truly have confidence that at some point something would be done just because some of the other development going on at the church."
Alderman Boyd said the School District eventually sold Arlington Elementary to a Chicago group that promised big things -- but did nothing. The City of St. Louis recently bought it in a tax sale and hopes to save it in cooperation with Friendly Temple and Affordable Housing.
Alderman Boyd said, "For some people it's an eyesore, but I see it as an opportunity. It's an opportunity to bring some life back into an institution that was once a vibrant building."
Now the question is -- will this school will be a lesson -- to keep future school closings from bringing down the neighborhoods.
Alderman Jeffrey Boyd told us, "The longer a building sits the more expensive it costs to rehabilitate it."
As we walked through the old playground with the Alderman -- we found a way inside.
Boyd said, "Oh - wow, I've never been in here before. Didn't even know that door was open."
We followed the alderman and found dozens -- possibly hundreds -- of private files.
Boyd asked, "Are those health records? [Reporter] Mental health records. [Alderman Boyd] Yeah [Reporter] Substance abuse case management [Alderman Boyd] Well that's not nice to have floating around, just laying around for anybody to come by and look at."
They appeared to be psychiatric evaluations, rape crisis details and drug intervention plans.
Alderman Boyd and reporter Chris Hayes read some of the files, "...daughter was born and tested positive for crack cocaine. [And here's an] address."
Personal information including social security numbers and dates of birth.
Boyd said, "That's pretty sad. [Chris Hayes] client daughter is currently in a foster care program. Wouldn't you think they'd need these records ? [Alderman Boyd] you would have thought, but you don't know how they got here either."
We later found they were left behind by a group called "Caring Communities" that rented out the portable building after the school closed. The group worked with troubled students and families until it also closed down around 1996.
We contacted St. Louis Public Schools. A spokesman arranged for everything to be picked up and placed in a secure location while the district investigates. A District spokesman said the files were property of the independent contractor, Caring Communities. He didn't know why the records were left behind. He's still trying to get answers, but says they're now protected.
Neighbor Harden said, "It's been neglect for the past 15 plus years."
Harden grew up across the street from Arlington School.
He said, "They just left us alone."
He's not surprised by what we found. He pointed out that the records are just a small part of what's been forgotten. From his mom's front porch, they can see it all.
Harden's Mom mentioned, "We woke up one day and those lion heads were gone and I couldn't figure it out and I still can't figure out how they got them down from there."
Meanwhile the surrounding neighborhood is fighting to improve, while the school continues to fall. Nearby Friendly Temple says it had plans for the school years ago. The church reportedly asked the St. Louis Public School District if it could buy the building in 1999, but the district reportedly said it might have to bring students back. Then three years later, the District reportedly called to say it was now ready to sell. But when church representatives looked at it, they found a lot changed in those three years and it was now too far gone.
Member Karen Davis said, "People remember in their minds when it was a very vibrant part of the community."
Davis said they're now hearing about new plans. "I truly have confidence that at some point something would be done just because some of the other development going on at the church."
Alderman Boyd said the School District eventually sold Arlington Elementary to a Chicago group that promised big things -- but did nothing. The City of St. Louis recently bought it in a tax sale and hopes to save it in cooperation with Friendly Temple and Affordable Housing.
Alderman Boyd said, "For some people it's an eyesore, but I see it as an opportunity. It's an opportunity to bring some life back into an institution that was once a vibrant building."
Now the question is -- will this school will be a lesson -- to keep future school closings from bringing down the neighborhoods.
