Ruptured heating pipe closes St. Kevin School for the week
It’s a good thing that the windows of St. Kevin School caught the eye of Father Robert Marciano Saturday afternoon. The windows were fogged with moisture.
Father Marciano investigated, discovering the school a steam bath. Water was pooled in the first floor corridor and dripped from ceilings.
“It was a waterfall in the library,” he said Monday.
In no time the source of all the hot water was identified as a ruptured elbow in the heat register in the second floor girls’ restroom. Hot water was gushing from the unit.
The fire department was called and the water and the heat were shut down. Cleanup started soon afterward.
St. Kevin School Principal David Irving was thankful Monday that the break had been so quickly discovered as it is making for an easier cleanup. On a room-by-room tour of the school Monday, he pointed out stained ceiling tiles that will be removed and replaced as well as a few spongy area rugs in the pre-K room. They will need to be removed for drying. Remarkably, there appeared to be no damage to books and materials left on desks. Throughout the school, fans and dehumidifiers hummed.
Father Marciano said the school’s 50 computers were moved to a second story classroom last year. They were all fine. Apart from where the librarian sits, which was trashed, the rest of the library and its books escaped.
As a result of the break and the repairs that need to be done, parents of the 245-student pre-K to 8th grade school were notified over the weekend that there is no school this week.
Irving is hopeful all the corrective measures will have been completed and the appropriate tests taken to enable the school to re-open next Monday.
Father Marciano said the school could operate around some repairs by sharing classrooms and use of rooms in the church.
“We’ll be creative,” he assured.
Father Marciano was appreciative of the city’s quick response and efforts to expedite permits needed to do the work and reopen as soon as possible.
Irving said “extra hours” had been made part of the school day some years ago as a precaution to closures forced by hurricanes and snowstorms. He said he is reviewing the schedule and assuming no additional closures and reopening on Monday, the school may be able to adhere to the current calendar. He said the unexpected closure would have no impact on the salaries of the school’s 28 staff of teachers, teacher assistants and clerical staff.
Irving said insurance adjusters have already visited the school.
Irving noted that the closure has inconvenienced families, especially those where both parents are working. He said that some stay-at-home parents have reached out to those families, opening their homes to their children.
