I am writing to share important, transparent details regarding what caused the sewer backup at the primary school, why it occurred, and what it means for our district moving forward.
During the recent incident, the sewer backed up directly into the red and green wings of the primary school. The portion of the building serving these wings relies on a 500-foot sewer line. Under modern building standards, a pipe of that length requires a minimum slope drop of 1 foot for every 100 feet—meaning it should have at least a 5-foot drop to function properly. However, due to the age and design of the primary building, our line only has a 3-foot drop.
Because the wastewater lacks sufficient pitch to flow reliably, this is not the first time this line has backed up. It is, however, the first time the failure was severe enough to force us to close school. This closure is a clear example of how an infrastructure failure at one building can ripple across our entire system and impact every family in the district.
The reality is that this line will back up again, there is no viable engineering repair or quick fix for a main line buried beneath an aging facility with insufficient grade. It is a permanent vulnerability and another stark example of the outdated, failing systems we manage daily at the primary school.
This issue highlights why replacing the primary building continues to be a top priority for our district. As our community looks toward the upcoming vote on November 3, these are the critical health, safety, and operational challenges we are asking you to help us address.
Thank you for your continued support and commitment to the safety and future of our students and schools.