Some Jenks Public Schools Students In Distance Learning While Flooding Repairs Made

Jenks Public Schools said Monday it will be another two weeks before restoration work is done after broken water lines caused flooding in several buildings.  

Jenks High School is one of several buildings impacted on the central campus. 

This week ninth through 12th graders are in distance learning after the district said water lines and fire suppression systems froze, then caused flooding after they thawed out. 

The district said there are about 30 different areas that saw flooding across the district, starting February 13 and continuing through the 21.  Those areas include classrooms, closets, hallways, maintenance facilities, lunchrooms and gyms.

Most places that flooded got about three inches of water, but in at least one case, there was a foot of water inside, according to Executive Administrator for School Operations Roger Wright.

Students are expected to go back to in person learning March 1, while repairs continue for another week.  

The district said it will have the air and surfaces tested for mold, bacteria and viruses before students and staff head back inside. 

Wright said there is not anything the district could have done to prevent this from happening in the first place.  

"The buildings just were not built to accommodate subzero temperatures for multiple days," Wright said.  

While the district does not know the total cost for repairs, it said it has met the deductible, which is $250,000.