North suburban Chicago school to be closed longer than expected after burst pipe damage
GRAYSLAKE, Ill. (CBS) -- Back when the Chicago area experienced a snap of brutal cold last month, broken pipes and a busted heater forced hundreds of north suburban kids out of their middle school.
Now, the students and their families have learned they will be spending much longer at their temporary elementary school than initially anticipated.
Problems have been mounting inside the Grayslake Middle School, at 440 Barron Blvd. in Grayslake. Images show water spewing from pumps, pipes with large punctures, and classrooms with ice glazed over after water flooded the schoolhouse.
"The pipes like burst, so we got a couple days off for e-learning," said eighth grader Charlie Vergin, "and then it just kept snowballing into like more stuff."
Charlie is not exaggerating when he talks about more stuff compounding.
Mechanics have been trying to get the school's heating and water system back up and running – since everything froze during the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day break.
Four weeks later, Charlie and numerous other students are using the University Center of Lake County as their school.
"Everyone is just trying to just like get back to normal as best they can," said Charlie.
Yet news has now come that the contractors will need at least 12 more weeks to get the middle school back to standard.
"I do kind of want to go back to middle school, because it's like band comes back - all the stuff comes back to what it was," said Charlie.
Yet the earliest Charlie and his bandmates can get to practicing in their school will be April.
"I think a little bit frustrated," said Charlie's mother, Liz Vergin.
In a news release, Community Consolidated School District 46 said the full scope of the work needed at Grayslake Middle School includes fixing unit ventilators, replacing all fire sprinklers, replacing the floor of the large gym, and complete cleanup and restoration of all floors in flooded areas.
With all this in mind, the expected completion date for the repairs after which students and staff may return is April 26.
"Our district has been very fortunate to access the University Center of Lake County - 2.1 miles away - to house our students and staff in a safe and positive learning environment," district Supt. Dr. Lynn Glickman said in a news release. "Our students, staff, families, and community have truly come together to ensure that teaching and learning continue while we are away from the Middle School building."
The district noted that after school activities and clubs have mostly restarted at the University Center while sports teams are participating in meets and games at a variety of locations – including other local schools. Band practice has also been held at another district school in the morning before the students are transported to the University Center.
And while the school district says students won't get back at to their school building for least for another 12 weeks, one thing they can't pinpoint at this hour is the exact amount it will cost taxpayers to fix all the damage there.
"It leaves us a little bit curious – like, where is our tax money going to be allocated for these repairs?" said Liz Vergin.
The district said the fire sprinkler system is more than half complete, and work on the new gym floor continues. Yet all supplies are not in stock – causing some delays.
"It's just like a lot of questions," said Charlie. "Like, are we going to get back to the school? Will stuff get canceled?"
