Juneau’s Riverbend Elementary School is closed through at least Wednesday due to a burst pipe

Geo Abad, 10 and his sister Bea Abad, 9, wait around in the gym at Riverbend Elementary School after getting their COVID-19 vaccines on Thursday, Nov. 11, 2021, in Juneau, Alaska. (Photo by Rashah McChesney/KTOO)

Riverbend Elementary School is closed through Wednesday because of extensive flooding in the building. 

Juneau School District Superintendent Bridget Weiss said a pipe near an exterior wall of the building burst this weekend. By the time Monday came around, there was a lot of water in the school. 

“I’d say probably two-thirds of the school was impacted with water. So, pretty significant,” Weiss said.

Weiss said the water has been vacuumed up, and now it’s a matter of waiting for the waterlogged floors to dry out. She said it’s too early to tell how extensive the damage is. 

The school district will reevaluate the damage on Wednesday and decide then if the school can open. If the school can’t open up because of the damage, Weiss said the district will come up with a backup plan. She said she isn’t sure what that plan will look like yet. 

All district schools are closed Monday and Tuesday because of weather conditions. Aside from Riverbend Elementary, they should reopen on Wednesday. 

Lyndsey Brollini

Local News Reporter

I bring voices to my stories that have been historically underserved and underrepresented in news. I look at stories through a solutions-focused lens with a goal to benefit the community of Juneau and the state of Alaska.

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