A firefighter cleans up the mess after a water line burst in the Lincoln Academy’s Hall House over the weekened. The damage forced the school to close for two days this week. (Photo courtesy Lincoln Academy)
For the second time in as many weeks, unexpected water issues forced the cancelation of classes at Lincoln Academy in Newcastle and the school’s custodial staff is receiving credit for their response.
School officials made the decision to cancel school for Monday and Tuesday, Feb. 6-7, due to complications related to a burst water pipe in the Hall House. According to LA Director of Communications Jenny Mayher, it is believed the pipe failed due to freezing and thawing as a result of dramatic temperature changes over the weekend. The damage was discovered Sunday, Feb. 5
Previously, school officials were forced to cancel school Jan. 26, after a storm drain in a flat section of the school’s roof failed sometime during the night. That failure allowed water inside the walls and ceilings of a section of the main school building called the history wing. In that event, five classrooms and the student health center were impacted.
The classrooms had to be relocated and pedestrians temporarily rerouted to account for the damaged area in the history wing.
In a letter addressed to “Lincoln Academy Families” posted on the school’s website Feb. 6, LA Head of School Jeffrey Burroughs described the damage to the Hall House as “major” and laid out the immediate course of action.
On a positive note, Burroughs wrote, “The good news is that thanks to tireless work by our maintenance staff, the history wing will be ready for classes this Wednesday, Feb. 8, much earlier than expected.”
Reopening the history wing will help relieve some of the pressure caused by damage to the Hall House, Burroughs wrote. School was canceled Tuesday, Feb. 7 in part because the history wing and the Hall House were both unavailable, leaving LA without enough “viable classrooms to hold school,” Burroughs said.
“Along with damage to classroom floors and walls, major systems were also damaged including the heating, ventilation, fire detection and elevator controls,” Burroughs stated. “That building houses 10 classrooms plus multiple offices, and losing those spaces makes it difficult to undertake a normal academic schedule.”
For the time being, all study halls will be held in the gymnasium to maximize classroom space for other classes. Students in all grades with first or last period study hall may be excused from those study halls with appropriate permissions.
The school’s clubs and activities, and its weekly community meeting, will not convene this week and the schedule will be modified to increase time between classes and accommodate the extra moving around for displaced teachers and students, Burroughs said.
Lincoln Academy’s sports schedule is unaffected.
School will dismiss at 2:10 p.m. on Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday, Feb. 8-10, and afternoon buses will run accordingly. The bus to the Bath Regional Career and Technical Center will resume regular runs Wednesday, Burroughs said.
“While we will not convert to virtual classes, all students should check Canvas for assignments that may be due later this week,” Burroughs said. “While Hall House repairs will continue, we are planning for an in-person week with a full Winter Carnival schedule next week.”
