ANN ARBOR, MI — Ann Arbor Public Schools students are scheduled to be back in class for the new school year on Monday, Aug. 28, but five school buildings must remain closed.
The district announced Sunday that due to power outages and damage related to severe storms that ripped through the state Thursday night, classes cannot resume at Forsyth Middle School, Huron High School and Lakewood, Thurston and Wines elementary schools.
“The outages following the storm on Thursday night - to our schools, campuses, infrastructure and operations across the school district - has been significant,” Ann Arbor Public Schools Superintendent Jeanice Kerr Swift said in a statement.
Related: Timeline: 7 tornadoes whipped across Michigan in less than 3 hours
“Following the restoration of power at each location, our teams must work diligently to reset building systems, including fire suppression, secure and replace food for meal service, confirm campuses have been cleared of all downed lines and trees, and address any adjacent issues, including the closure of roads and sidewalks around the schools and ability for cars and buses to travel to and from school locations. In addition, our school teams must have adequate time to prepare and restore classrooms for the arrival of students.”
Swift said the storm damage in the area around Forsythe and Wines is more significant than at other school locations, and safely reopening those schools presents a greater challenge.
“We commit to continuing to work diligently to bring these two schools back online as quickly as possible, and will share an update on their status later in the day on Monday,” she said.
Swift said the district appreciates the efforts of its teachers, facilities, food and nutrition and other staff who have continued working diligently through the weekend, making every effort to reopen schools as safely and as quickly as possible.
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