Winslow Township Middle School closed due to water pipe damage
The school plans to shift to a hybrid schedule with virtual and remote learning until the building can fully reopen after a water pipe burst.
Winslow Township Middle School has been shut down since Thursday and will remain partially closed for weeks after a burst water pipe damaged the South Jersey school.
The school closed after a 4-inch pipe burst in a ceiling, sending water gushing throughout the building, interim Superintendent Mark Pease said Monday.
The school remained closed Monday and the district will implement a contingency hybrid plan starting Tuesday with students alternating in-person and remote learning, Pease said.
Pease said the district has hired All-Risk to clean up the damage.
“They were looking at possibly 30 days to complete the work,” Pease said. The district is optimistic that timeline may be shortened, he said.
Pease said officials have not determined why the pipe burst Wednesday night. About three-fourths of the building was flooded with one to two inches of water, he said.
A significant number of classrooms were flooded, along with the gym, library, and offices, he said. About 760 seventh and eighth graders attend the school.
The student population will be divided into two groups — Cohort A and Cohort B and alternate in-person and remote days, Pease said. Until that begins, all students will get remote instruction.
The shutdown left parents scrambling to make emergency arrangements. They were told to report to the school Monday to pick up Chromebooks. Pease said the district has a plentiful supply of devices as a result of the pandemic.
“We want to get our students back into the building and back to a normal schedule,” Pease said.
Pease said grab-and-go meals will be offered on virtual days for students eligible for free- and reduced-price lunch. Bus service will not be affected.
Extracurricular activities and clubs will be suspended during the shutdown, Pease said. Volleyball games, normally played in the school’s gym, may be moved to the high school or at opposing schools, he said.
The shutdown has no impact on classes at Winslow’s other schools. The district enrolls about 6,800 students.