Paterson Public School No. 3 abruptly closed after 124-year-old building deemed unsafe
PATERSON, N.J. -- A school in Paterson, New Jersey was abruptly closed until further notice because the building, which is more than 100 years old, was deemed unsafe.
At a school board meeting Wednesday night, it was announced that students and staff at Public School No. 3 would be relocated just weeks before classes start.
Part of the first-floor ceiling collapsed on July 28, according to school officials. No one was hurt, but repairs are needed before anyone can re-enter.
"All I can say right now is that the children will be housed temporarily. We don't know for how long," Superintendent Dr. Laurie Newell said.
The school on Main Street was built in 1899.
Parents are supposed to receive letters letting them know what school their children will go to, but some are worried it will complicate their back-to-school plans.
"They can't go walking because I don't know what school they're going to yet. Over here they can walk," said Solange Miya.
"It absolutely will impact my niece because she goes to that school," said Eddy Galva. "I wandered through the building. The school is not conditions for kids to be there."
According to officials, there are 302 students enrolled in kindergarten through eighth grade at Public School No. 3. They will be broken into groups and sent to other schools:
- Kindergarten to second grade students will go to Dale School
- Third to eighth will go to Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. School
- Another group will go to School 28
Fifty-five students were mistakenly enrolled at Public School No. 3 and will be reassigned to their correct neighborhood schools.
The superintendent told CBS New York that students who cannot walk to their new school will be able to take the bus.
"We will be providing transportation for our students," Newell said.
Officials said the estimated cost to fix the ceilings is $2.1 million. The work is expected to take about four months.
