LOYAL. LOCAL. COMPLETE.
PARIS—On Dec. 3, an alert sent to parents and guardians of Memorial Elementary School students alerted the community that the school may temporarily shut down due to heating issues.
“Yesterday, we alerted you to a potential need to shut down the heating system at Memorial before winter break,” the Tuesday message explained.
The message also detailed plans to use e-learning days if a shutdown became necessary and shared that Memorial teachers “are planning for possible remote learning and the Food Service department is planning to provide breakfast and lunch food to families during a shutdown.”
According to a press release given to members of The Prairie Press team on Dec. 4, the shutdown will not happen; however, repairs to the building’s heating systems are planned.
“On Saturday, Nov. 16, a power outage occurred at Memorial Elementary School in Paris, two days later, Monday, Nov. 18, the district discovered a significant leak in the heating system,” the release reads. “We were able to repair that leak in a relatively short time, but have discovered a series of additional leaks.”
“On Saturday night, Nov. 23, we discovered another significant leak. We isolated those pipes and made a repair on Monday. The building has had heat and provided a safe learning environment throughout this process,” the statement adds.
“We have consulted with a mechanical firm and they have advised that we must shut down the building’s heating system to drain it and replace all the failing valves,” the statement explained. “We anticipate this will take three to four days, depending on the size of the work crew.”
The school will undergo repair work during the upcoming two-week winter break when students are not in school. According to the district's statement, further repair attempts will not be made until the break “because any disturbance to the pipes could lead to additional issues and even an unplanned shutdown.”
“Student safety is always our top priority,” Superintendent of District 95 schools, Mary Morgan Ryan, said.
If it is determined that a shutdown is needed before the scheduled break, the school will use e-learning days and engage students in school work at home, using the district’s previously established e-learning plan.
The school plans to keep all Memorial students on the same calendar as the rest of the district and avoid adding days of instruction to the end of the school year. The option, according to Morgan Ryan, is least disruptive for families and allows student learning to continue.
Memorial teachers will continue planning for possible remote learning, as will the school’s Food Service department if a shutdown becomes unavoidable.
“Paris Union School District 95 hopes that a heating system shutdown will not be needed outside of Winter Break, but administration and staff are prepared for that possibility,” the statement concludes.