According to Hudson Huff, KISD chief facility services officer, at least 16 district campuses were affected by power and internet outages and, in some cases, minor damage. The most significant accident occurred at Bette Perot Elementary School, where a busted hose flooded roughly six classrooms, Huff told the KISD board of trustees Feb. 22.
"Our staff had a very quick response throughout and did an incredible job over several days," he said. "Every time we had a break or a problem, our custodial team was there within 15 minutes."
From Feb. 15-16, a total of 13 campuses were affected by power outages, Huff said. That number rose to 16 on Feb. 17 before district staff were able to restore access to all campuses except Shady Grove Elementary. Cleanup from a water leak on the roof of Shady Grove was not completed until Feb. 19.
"Many buildings lost power for a significant amount of time," Huff said. "Several campuses, including Hillwood Middle School, were without power for the majority of the time."
Other issues caused by the winter storm included a main water-line break at Caprock Elementary School, a boiler that was submerged in water at Central High School and damage to fire sprinkler systems at Central, Shady Grove, Chisholm Trail Intermediate, Parkview Intermediate and Keller Center for Advanced Learning.
"The number of people behind the scenes that [allowed] us to open on Monday, in a district with 42 campuses, is extraordinary," Superintendent Rick Westfall said.
According to Huff, bids for repairs will be submitted to the board at a special meeting March 8. The district will continue to monitor campuses closely over time to spot any additional failures or damage, he said.
