WAYLAND, Mich. – There were no alarm clocks buzzing to wake students for Wayland Union High School on Wednesday, three days since the holiday break should have wrapped up. Yet for teachers, returning to their classrooms on Wednesday was a different story. Harry Werkema, maintenance engineer with Wayland Union Schools, says more than 1,200 gallons of water were cleared from the band room floor alone.
Tuesday morning, school officials found water in the high school’s technology lab, wrestling room, choir and band rooms coming in from the sprinkler system. Choir teacher, Ricci Sabin, says her students are looking forward to the Solo and Ensemble competition in February, but their sheet music was mostly destroyed from water damage. Last year, Sabin says they had to cancel this competition because of poor road conditions, but not this year she says.
“We’ll make it happen, we’ll make it work. I don’t want the kids to miss out, it’s too important to them. They’re already working on it,” says Sabin.
Looking at the water-logged wrestling mats, Roy Harter, Wayland Union High School head wrestling coach, says they’re worth about $10,000 and may be unusable.
Werkema says about two inches of water flooded some classrooms, soaking sheet music, instrument cases, uniforms, carpet and teacher belongings.
“There’s a frozen pipe in the administration building, which is in the front of the high school: there’s damage in there with the copy machine, phones and the computers,” adds Werkema.
Wayland Union High School is rolling up their sleeves to salvage all they can and say school resumes Thursday, January 9, 2014.
