ALLENTOWN, Pa. — After a burst pipe at Harrison-Morton Middle School moved learning online last week, staff members say building challenges began a day earlier than Allentown School District made public.
The district confirmed this week that a pipe burst Wednesday, Feb. 19, causing flooding in the 151-year-old building.
At the time, parents were notified of the issue and students were dismissed early to learn online from home. They continued to attend school virtually for the following eight school days.
On Monday, students will begin in-person learning at temporary sites throughout Allentown while building repairs at Harrison-Morton continue. They'll learn there for at least the next few weeks.
Those sites include Raub, South Mountain and Trexler middle schools; William Penn Alternative School; Dieruff High School; Lehigh Carbon Community College's Donley Center; and the former St. Francis School.
Building issues began Feb. 18, staff says
When it comes to the maintenance issues that caused Harrison-Morton to close in the first place, some staff members say the district hasn't been transparent.
One staff member told LehighValleyNews.com that it was actually two burst pipes that caused the school's closure last week, not just the one acknowledged by the district.
The first pipe burst on Tuesday, Feb. 18 — a day before the second instance, the same staff member said.
“What concerned me was why was it not unsafe on the 18th? And why aren’t they saying that it started on the 18th?”Allentown School District staff member
Students and teachers remained in the building Feb. 18, according to the HMMS staff member, who was granted anonymity because they’re not authorized by ASD to speak with reporters.
The district’s correspondence with families only notes the Feb. 19 incident.
“What concerned me was, why was it not unsafe on the 18th?" the staff member said. "And why aren’t they saying that it started on the 18th?”
The same staff member said an unpleasant odor filled the school on Feb. 18 and made some teachers feel lightheaded.
The smell remained in the school when students and staff reported to the building the morning of Feb. 19 when the second pipe burst, the staff member said.
Unneeded secrecy?
Bob Smith, a former longtime Allentown School Board member, said he spoke with Harrison-Morton staff members who also told him the building issues began on Feb. 18 accompanied by an odor that left some teachers feeling dizzy.
Smith said staff also told him two radiators in the building were broken.
“I don't understand the secrecy."Bob Smith, a former longtime Allentown School Board member
LehighValleyNews.com reached out to the district about the timeline discrepancy and building safety concerns, among other inquiries. A spokesperson declined to comment.
“I don't understand the secrecy,” said Smith, who’s running to rejoin the Allentown School Board this election cycle.
Smith said staff members told him a union representative warned teachers their jobs would be in jeopardy if they spoke to reporters about the building issues.
Leslie Franklin, president of the Allentown Education Association, declined to comment for this article.
Age of the building
State Rep. Josh Siegel, D-22nd District, said his office has been in communication with ASD about the situation at Harrison-Morton, which falls in Siegel's legislative district.
Siegel said he was aware of two pipes bursting, but does not know the timeline for when the issues occurred.
"It just shows the age of the building. As the building gets older these are the issues that start to materialize."State Rep. Josh Siegel
"It just shows the age of the building," Siegel said. "As the building gets older, these are the issues that start to materialize."
Harrison-Morton was built in 1874, when President Ulysses S. Grant was in office.
Siegel and other elected officials often use the building as a rallying cry for more public education funding, especially in poor, urban districts such as Allentown.
"Harrison-Morton quintessentially is an example of where the building itself has outlived its life span," Siegel said.
ASD hasn't asked for any state-related assistance to address the building damage, he added.
The best thing the state can do to support Allentown and other districts with similar building issues, Siegel said, is to put money toward school facilities and construction.
'Chaotic' virtual learning
As the district continues repairing damage at Harrison-Morton, students will return to in-person learning at temporary sites in Allentown for most of March.
But during the first eight days of the Harrison-Morton closure, students learned virtually.
During this time, teachers held classes online via their laptops from other ASD schools, including Dieruff, South Mountain and Trexler.
The district declined to comment on why teachers weren't able to teach virtually from their homes.
The Harrison-Morton staff member who spoke with LehighValleyNews.com said it was difficult to teach on Zoom in a room full of other teachers doing the same. They described it as "chaotic."
The staff member also said the temporary online set up presented equity issues because some students' laptops were broken or stolen. Some families also don’t have internet access.
In a Wednesday email, the district told Harrison-Morton families to contact their child’s teacher if they needed help accessing a device or hotspot.
The same email advised families of information sessions to learn more about the return to in-person learning.
Return to in-person
At the first information session Thursday evening, Harrison-Morton Principal Carolyn Hamilton told parents the district anticipates being at the temporary locations for about three weeks.
Students will be transported to their locations via shuttle bus from outside Harrison-Morton. The bus schedule was shared with families.
The school day will start at 8 a.m. and end at 2:35 p.m.
Breakfast and lunch will be available at all sites. Counselors will also be at all sites. After-school activities will continue based on available space.
At the high school locations, middle school students will be kept away from older students.
Hamilton said there is no option for parents to send their child to a different site than the one assigned. Parents cannot opt for their child to continue virtual learning, either.
"We’re trying to get our students back in person because that’s the best learning environment for them," Hamilton said.
For students assigned to a high school location or school site outside of ASD, there will be an open house Saturday for parents to see the buildings.
The open house for Dieruff, William Penn and LCCC's Donley Center are at 11 a.m. The open house for the St. Francis School site is at 3 p.m.
The district's Friday in-person information session can be viewed on the district's YouTube page.
The temporary school site assignments for next week are as follows:
- Grade 6 — former St. Francis School, 1033 Washington St., Allentown 484-357-8326
- Grade 7 — Lehigh Carbon Community College's Donley Center, 718 Hamilton St., Allentown, 484-408-1812
- Grade 8 — Gold Team: Dieruff High School, 815 N Irving St., Allentown 484-765-5501
- Grade 8 — Purple Team: William Penn Alternative School, 401 W. Allen St., Allentown, 484-765-4531
- Autistic Support Classes: Trexler Middle School, 851 N. 15th St., Allentown, 484-765-4601
- Life Skills Class: South Mountain Middle School, 709 W. Emaus Ave., Allentown, 484-765-4301
- Emotional Support Classes: Raub Middle School, 102 S. St. Cloud St., Allentown, 484-765-5301
