6 Southwestern Pennsylvania Schools Close For Water Problems
CANONSBURG, Pa. (KDKA/AP) - Six schools in two western Pennsylvania school districts were closed for the day due to water main breaks.
This has been a tough school year for students in Peters Township. First, the teachers went on strike on October 28th, after their contract expired August 31st and the two sides failed to reach an agreement. Teachers were out of the classroom until November 27th, the day after Thanksgiving when state law required them to return.
Monday, just six school days after returning to class, 1,900 of the students in the district were home again because of a water main break.
Peters Township High School and Pleasant Valley Elementary School closed Monday after a water line broke in front of the high school about 6 a.m.
"Basically, right now, we're working with the state, trying to determine where this goes, and if necessary, we'll be adding a day on to the end of the school year," said Shelly Belcher with Peters Township School District.
Closing school for a water main break is similar to a snow day. It's not that unusual for Pennsylvania, but it is unique for Peters Township since students have already been out of the classroom for a while because of the teachers' strike.
"Our parents and staff are very flexible, so we'll communicate it to them, and we'll change the calendar if necessary," Belcher said.
Crews worked through most of the day, getting the lines repaired, but evening events at the school buildings were cancelled as a precaution. As long as there's school Tuesday, the district doesn't see this as much more than a speed bump in the calendar year.
"We hope that one day isn't going to be that disruptive," Belcher said. "It's western Pennsylvania. It's the winter. We're used to throwing a few snow days into our schedule."
In Georges Township, Fayette County, the Albert Gallatin Area School District canceled classed at its high school and three elementary schools, including A.L. Wilson Elementary, D. Ferd Swaney Elementary and Smithfield Elementary.
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