Sewanhaka High School water damage caused by leaking faucet, district says
Sewanhaka High School on Monday. Credit: Dawn McCormick
Sewanhaka High School in Floral Park will reopen on its regular schedule Tuesday, with “minimal disruption” expected as a result of water damage this weekend, officials said.
A “thorough review” by administrators, maintenance staff and professional remediation experts determined that the school “is safe for students and staff to return,” the district’s superintendent, Regina Agrusa, wrote in a letter to the community Monday.
“Our facilities and response teams have addressed the affected areas, and cleanup efforts will continue during off-school hours to ensure the building remains safe and that the remaining work can be completed with minimal disruption to the school day,” she wrote.
The damage was caused by a leaking faucet, and it affected four classrooms and an office, according to the district.
"The district is assessing the remediation timeline and associated costs," a district spokeswoman said in a statement Monday.
The school was closed Monday due to “significant” damage from a “plumbing issue” over the weekend, district officials said earlier. The school cancelled career and technical education, PACE and Prestige tutoring on Monday, though games or athletic practices were not affected, officials said.
Agrusa wrote in her letter to the community on Monday, “We appreciate the patience, understanding, and cooperation of our students, families, faculty and staff as we have worked through this situation. The safety and well-being of our school community remain our highest priority.”
Maura McDermott covers education. Since joining Newsday in 2012, she also has worked on the investigations team and covered real estate and the business of health care.
