ALLENTOWN, Pa. — Students at Harrison-Morton Middle School continued virtual learning Tuesday after a burst pipe caused flooding at the school last week.
Melissa Reese, a spokeswoman for Allentown School District, said students and staff were dismissed early last Wednesday because of the issue at the building.
The students have been learning virtually at home ever since.
Staff members have been reporting to other school buildings throughout ASD to teach from their laptops.
"Significant progress has been made" on addressing the building safety issues.Harrison-Morton Principal Carolyn Hamilton, in a message to families
Parents have been receiving daily communication about the situation, Reese said. It is not yet clear when students and staff will be able to safely return to the school building.
Harrison-Morton Principal Carolyn Hamilton sent a message to families today that said "significant progress has been made" on addressing the building safety issues.
Hamilton said crews were at the school over the weekend to dry and clean affected areas. The district's facilities team still is working on the following:
- Remediating water damage by removing and replacing flooring and materials as needed
- Repairing concealed water piping and fixing any additional leaks found
- Conducting air quality testing to ensure a safe and healthy environment
- Completing a full HVAC system evaluation for proper environmental control
Hamilton said there's more work to be done, and parents will be notified when it is safe for students to return to in-person learning at the school building.
Families should be on the lookout for communication via email, phone and the district website.
Harrison-Morton was built in 1874 when President Ulysses S. Grant was in office.
Local elected officials often point to Harrison-Morton as an example of the need for more public school funding to address facilities concerns, especially in poor, urban districts such as Allentown.
This is a developing report. Check back for updates.
