Teachers resort to virtual classrooms while school is closed for flood repairs
By: Ellie Romano
Email: ERomano@ABC6.com
Twitter: @ERomanoABC6
WARWICK, R.I. (WLNE) – Toll Gate High School in Warwick is closed this week while repairs are made following a water main break.
The break happened Saturday morning and flooded the cafeteria, auditorium, and several classrooms.
The school will be closed from Monday, February 10th through Friday, February 14th. All on-site activities and events are also canceled.
Students and teachers are now anxiously waiting to see if the Rhode Island Department of Education will allow the school to waive the missed days, or if they will have to be made up in June.
Teachers are working to show RIDE this week is not a complete loss by continuing classes online.
Each high schooler has a Chromebook for school work.
“Obviously this was a big surprise. There’s no substitute for in-person learning,” said Darlene Netcoh, the president of the Warwick Teacher’s Union.
Netcoh is also an English teacher at the high school. She doesn’t want her students to fall behind with 10 days off– five for repairs, plus school is closed Monday through Wednesday of next week for President’s Day.
“I had a lot of things I planned to finish up this week,” said Netcoh.
“I know for everyone’s sake, let’s get back to school as soon as possible and get that waiver from RIDE,” said Netcoh.
RIDE has not yet announced whether the days off will be waived.
The cause of the extensive damage has been traced back to human error.
“This was due to a bad cap. Someone put a galvanized steel cap on the water main and they shouldn’t have,” said city councilman Anthony Sinapi. “That kind of cap will rot out as opposed to putting in a brass cap.”
The cap has since been replaced.
©WLNE-TV/ABC6 2020
