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Thursday, March 28, 2024
HomeNewsLocal newsLack of Water Shuts Kean High School

Lack of Water Shuts Kean High School

Ivanna Eudora Kean High School
Ivanna Eudora Kean High School

Ivanna Eudora Kean High School dismissed classes at noon Monday following outcry over the lack of running water at the school in the last few days.

Department of Education spokeswoman Keva Muller said the department’s decided to dismiss classes at about 11 a.m. Monday, following Source inquiries about the issue.

The water issue at Kean High School was brought to the Source’s attention early Monday. Facebook user Thomas Na shared that a Kean teacher sent her a picture of a dirty school toilet taken 8:35 a.m. on Monday, which she immediately posted on social media, saying, “This school should not even be open in conditions like this at all without water.”

A Kean student also posted a Facebook status on Sunday, saying, “If Kean don’t have water (again), nobody best go to class cuz by law we don’t belong in school if we don’t have running water. Department of Education needs to do better.”

The Source called Kean High School Monday morning, was transferred to a woman who said she was instructed not to talk about the water issue and who hung up when asked what her name was.

Muller confirmed the problem with lack of water at Kean School around 9:44 a.m. According to Muller, water pressure at the school weakened late Thursday, a situation that continued Friday and throughout the weekend. Muller said that the Water and Power Authority was supposed to address the problem but as of Monday, there was still no water at Kean School.

Jean Greaux, WAPA spokesperson, initially said he has not received information about the lack of water at Kean School. Upon consulting WAPA’s water division, Greaux said that WAPA has been working with school maintenance to identify and correct the issue.

“We are providing more than enough water pressure to the entry access water distribution point at the school,” Greaux said. “There are two meters, and we’re proving more than adequate pressure to both of those meters. However, the water pressure has been dropping off on the campus proper.”

Greaux said he was told the problem had been resolved over the weekend, but did not dismiss the possibility that a new problem occurred on Monday. Muller said the department is working with WAPA to find the cause of the water problem.

“Our maintenance team, along with personnel from WAPA and a plumbing company was at Kean campus addressing the issue,” Muller told the Source in a text sent at 1:38 p.m. “The maintenance team hopes to have the problem solved before tomorrow.”

Muller disputed notions that the water issue has been going on for weeks, saying the problem began Thursday. As of 10 p.m., the Department has not provided information on when the school will reopen.

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