Weather-beaten schools ready to re-start

After repairing some snowstorm-related damages, Snoqualmie Valley School District will be ready to welcome students back from winter vacation on Monday, Jan. 5.

After repairing some snowstorm-related damages, Snoqualmie Valley School District will be ready to welcome students back from winter vacation on Monday, Jan. 5.

Maintenance crews worked throughout the holidays to ensure that schools affected by the bad weather would be up and running in time for students’ return, Snoqualmie Valley School District Superintendent Joel Aune said.

“We’re kind of lucky with the timing of the storms, because it gave us two weeks to get the schools back in shape,” he said.

At North Bend Elementary, fire sprinklers on the ceiling froze up and broke, causing water damage to some classrooms. At Snoqualmie Middle School, blowing snow entered the attic area through vents, accumulated, and caused “moderate” water damage after melting. A faulty boiler at Mount Si High School was immediately repaired, and there were also some minor problems at the new Twin Falls Middle School building, Aune said.

Students got three extra days of winter break, as school was canceled Wednesday, Dec. 17 through Friday, Dec. 19, because of the bad weather. Schools will make up those three days, as well as two days missed during the November flood, in June.