Tropical storm rains may force closure of Beth-Center Middle School; classes canceled again
Photo courtesy of Bethlehem-Center School District
Courtesy of Bethlehem-Center
Saturated ceiling tiles fell in the cafeteria at Bethlehem-Center Elementary School during heavy weekend rains.
DEEMSTON – Bethlehem-Center School District has canceled classes today after additional damages were discovered to the middle school from the remnants of Tropical Storm Gordon that soaked the area for three days.
District Superintendent Christopher S. Sefcheck said Tuesday heavy rainfall saturated the floors at the elementary school and damaged the middle school roof, a situation that may force that building’s closure.
“The entire faculty and staff are going to work on a plan in case the middle school can’t reopen on how we can distribute the kids in the other buildings,” Sefcheck said Tuesday.
The storm dropped at least 5.5 inches of rain in the region over a 72-hour period ending Monday.
Beth-Center closed the schools Monday due to flooding and unsafe roads and again Tuesday after the water damage was discovered in the elementary school on the district campus in Deemston.
Sefcheck said the district called in a structural engineer Tuesday to “assess the integrity and safety of the middle school roof.” That investigation is expected to take up to a week to complete, he said.
A core sample was removed from the middle school roof and it determined the roof was saturated with water. He said a past construction project placed new roofing material and insulation atop an existing roof. It appeared the insulation became saturated from the rain, Sefcheck said.
He said today will be an Act 80 day, which adjusts the school calendar due to unforeseen circumstances.
“We do not want to take a chance that any part of the roof or ceiling would compromise the safety of students, faculty, staff or visitors,” Sefcheck stated in a Tuesday letter to parents.
None of the roofs or ceilings has collapsed, said Sefcheck, who is in his fourth month as district superintendent. Some ceiling tiles did fall from the elementary school ceiling.
He said the school board is expected Thursday to approve projects costing $10.3 million that would replace the roofs on all three buildings. The work would also replace the heating and air-conditioning units at the high school and middle school.
The district will release additional information on a plan to resume classes Thursday, he said.