Park Forest Middle School’s 759 students will return to class on Wednesday for the first time since last week after cleanup from flooding.
State College Area School District announced Tuesday afternoon that cleanup had progressed sufficiently for the school to return to normal operating hours starting Wednesday. Dehumidification equipment will still be in operation in several classrooms, which will displace some classes for several days. Alternate spaces including the gymnasium, library and auditorium will be used for instruction during that time.
About five inches of rain fell in a two-hour period Thursday night, with about seven inches total from the storm, causing storm drains to back up and damage walls and floors in about half of the building, according to the district. Classes were not in session on Friday due to a scheduled Act 80 day, but the district determined that the building was not yet suitable for students and teachers to return on Monday and Tuesday
Contractors and district maintenance staff have been working non-stop since Thursday night on clean up and moisture remediation. Dozens of commercial-grade humidifiers and fans have been used to remove moisture.
“We are grateful to be getting students and teachers back into full swing on Wednesday,’ Superintendent Bob O’Donnell said in a statement. ‘In learning about the rainfall totals… we are thankful our situation was not worse,” Superintendent Bob O’Donnell said.
