Pipe collapse at Kenilworth school prompts early dismissal for students
Officials say there are currently no working bathrooms at David Brearley Middle-High School.
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A pipe collapse that was discovered at the end of the school day Monday prompted the Kenilworth School District to call for an early dismissal Tuesday for students at David Brearley Middle-High School.
A notice was posted on the school district's website to inform families about the issue.
"The health and sanitary conditions of our school facilities are top priorities; obviously, a lack of restroom facilities poses challenges to the normal operations of a school building," Superintendent of Schools Jeremy Davies said in a statement.
Officials say there are currently no functioning bathrooms at Brearley, aside from those located in an annex building across from the school's parking lot.
Students were being released at noon in order to "reduce the needs for bathroom usage and to eliminate the water usage due to the needs of the cafeteria," the superintendent said.
Due to the ongoing issue, lunch was not served today at school. In addition, the superintendent said that "portable, single-occupancy toilets" would be brought in to accommodate students while the plumbing issue is repaired. The portable bathrooms were being placed near the building.
According to the district's statement, the restrooms throughout the middle-high school will be closed off to students and sanitized. The Kenilworth Police Department will also "provide additional support to ensure the security of our Brearley building," the superintendent said.
"I know our Brearley staff will handle this situation with their typical professionalism and grace. So too, will our students," Davies said.
The plumbing issue did not affect nearby Harding Elementary School.
"We are working with the Kenilworth Department of Public Works and our District plumbing contractor to repair the situation as quickly as possible," Davies said. "We will communicate updates on the progress.
