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Classes at Lakeside Elementary to resume Tuesday after severe flooding

Posted at 6:23 PM, Jan 14, 2019
and last updated 2019-01-14 20:23:39-05

LAKESIDE – Hundreds of Lakeside Elementary School students stayed home Monday after a pipe burst Friday night, causing severe water damage to several classrooms.

Dozens of fans lined the school’s halls on Monday to help dry out over eight classrooms that were left with severe water damage.

Principal John Thies says that over an inch and a half of water filled one kindergarten classroom. He says that staff and restoration workers quickly sprung into action to prevent long-term damage.

“They have taken all of the base trim off, and drilled holes in areas of our walls, so that air will circulate through there so we won’t have a mold issue,” Thies said.

Luckily, some of the classrooms located farther away from the damaged pipe won’t need as much remodeling.

“I think all the other rooms will dry just by fans, and we probably have close to 75 fans in our school, in that wing.”

Instead of eight classrooms, all Lakeside students will be split into three.

First grade teacher Ashley Stern says she thinks the students will adjust to this new set up.

“Some of them, it will be exciting. Some of them are so rigid in their structures that it could really take a toll on them, all the change, changes in the classrooms,” Stern said. “But we’ll do the best we can to meet their needs.”

Theis said that while there will be more students-per-teacher, there will be no learning deficits in these new classrooms.

Classes at Lakeside are scheduled to resume Tuesday morning.

As of Monday, Theis tells us the total cost for these renovations have not been confirmed.

 — Story by Maren Siu – MTN News