The Rainy River District School Board continues to work steadily at restoring J.W. Walker to a state where it’s usable and safe for its students once again.
But Education Director Jack McMaster said this morning parents should know that students will continue to go to their alternative accommodations when they return to class after the March Break.
“We’re sending a note home to parents stating the kids will be in the schools they’re in right now next Monday [March 17] because there would be too much confusion, even if we had the school ready, to make changes and inform the parents over the March Break of those changes,” McMaster noted.
“Even though we believe we’ll have the school ready, it just makes more sense to do that,” he added.
McMaster said it’s possible students will return to Walker sometime later that week. “But if there is a little delay, we’re very hopeful to come back after the Easter weekend,” he noted.
Work will continue over the March Break at the school, which was damaged by fire sparked by a gas leak last week.
“Site clean-up is going on. We’re at a point where we’ve had a structural engineer in and he’s told us what to do,” said McMaster.
“We’re working with the town right now, getting the appropriate paperwork in place so that we can go in and remove some of the structures on the outside of the gym [for safety reasons].
“The inside of the school is progressing very, very well,” he added. “The cleaning crew is doing an amazing job over there.”
Due to water damage, the throw carpets in the classroom reading areas have been disposed of, and the carpets in the office and library removed.
“We’ve cut up the walls and removed gyp rock in the basement. They’re now in the process of replacing all of that,” noted McMaster. “They’ve got everything dried out and the heaters are out now, from what I understand.”
McMaster also said the board hopes to have water service running to the school by the end of today.
Even once students are back in their regular classrooms, it may be a while longer before the library and office are usable as new carpets have to be installed.
As well, due to the damage to the gym, that part of the school will not be usable for an indefinite period of time.
McMaster said it will be up to the school principal to decide what to do for alternative phys. ed. arrangements for the students.
Fort Frances Times
Local News from Across the Rainy River District
