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Water leak forces Red Oak Middle School closure

News

September 2nd, 2014 by Ric Hanson

A valve on a water line came open over the weekend at the Red Oak Middle School, flooding the second floor of the building and forcing the school to be closed today (Tuesday), while crews clean-up the mess. The Omaha World-Herald reports the water damaged the  sheetrock ceilings and the school’s security system.

School officials say there’s no evidence of vandalism. Superintendent Terry Schmidt attributed the incident to the age of the structure and its systems. The middle school is a three-story renovated high school building that’s more than 100 years old. About 300 students in grades six through eight attend the school.

After working Sunday and Monday, crews had the school about 80 percent dried out, but workers need to make sure everything is dry to guard against mold buildup. Computers in the building and the school’s electrical system were not damaged.