Windsor C-1 School District students got an unexpected day off today (Nov. 4) after a water main break forced officials to cancel classes throughout the district.
On Tuesday, the Fox C-6 School District had to deal with water problems at one of its elementary schools – Rockport Heights in Arnold – and students ended up being bused to Rickman Auditorium to finish their school day.
Windsor
At about 4:30 a.m. today, a Windsor maintenance employee noticed a water main break along Windsor Harbor Road near Windsor Middle School, said Superintendent Joel B. Holland, who was on his way to school at about 5 a.m. when the maintenance employee called to tell him about the break.
“It was gushing across Windsor Harbor,” Holland said.
Holland also said he decided to call off classes districtwide, and parents were advised about the closure before students left for school.
The break affected all the schools on the main campus along Hwy. 61-67 and Windsor Harbor Road, including the middle school, high school and Intermediate Center, but not Windsor Elementary School in Kimmswick and Freer Elementary School in Barnhart.
However, Holland said, it made sense to cancel classes at all the district’s schools because the majority of the students attend classes at the main campus and if all of them were absent, the district would have been required to schedule a makeup day anyway.
“It wouldn’t have been feasible to have Freer and Windsor Elementary there,” Holland said.
The main was repaired by about noon today and students are expected to be back in class on Thursday (Nov. 5), he said.
However, a boil order is in effect at the Middle School and at part of the Intermediate Center until Friday, Holland said.
Students and staff will not be able to use many of the water fountains as a result, so the district will provide them with bottled water during the boil order.
The cafeteria and restrooms will operate normally, Holland added.
Rockport
There was a water main break on Tuesday near Rockport Heights, which caused problems with the water supply there, so after all the students had lunch, they were transported to Rickman Auditorium on the main Fox schools campus on Jeffco Boulevard where they finished out the day until buses took them home or parents picked them up, according to a message on the district’s website.
Fox Superintendent Jim Wipke said water was brought in for lunch and children used hand sanitizer before eating.
The district’s Character Kids Club childcare program held at Rockport each day after school also was relocated to Rickman, and students who typically stay for that program remained at the auditorium until parents picked them up, according to website.
While at Rickman, Rockport students had the chance to watch a movie, as well as Fox High School students rehearse plays they’re working on, according to school officials.
Wipke said district staff handled the situation well and children enjoyed the change of pace.
"It was a little field trip for them," he said.
The problem has been fixed at Rockport and students were back at school today, Wipke said.