Despite damage to several schools, no classes are interrupted

Benjamin Grove

Friday, July 9, 1999 | 11:12 a.m.

Several Clark County schools suffered flood damage Thursday, but classes began as scheduled today at the district's 85 year-round schools.

Children at 11 schools -- mostly those who walk to school -- were held after normal dismissal time on Thursday.

"We dispatched school police to survey the situation around those schools and collaborated with principals to determine if it was safe for students who walk home," district spokesman Ray Willis said.

Students had been dismissed by 5:30 p.m at all schools, Willis said. Students at Cyril Wengert and Walter Long Elementary in east Las Vegas were held the latest because of rushing water in that area.

Daniel Goldfarb Elementary School pupils were evacuated from portable classrooms when roofs leaked.

Crestwood and C.C. Ronnow elementary schools lost power but continued with classes, Willis said. Power was restored today. year-round schools, Crestwood and another year-round school, Walter Johnson Middle School, were still without phone service as classes began this morning. Phone service also was lost at Cheyenne High School, where school is out for summer.

Water from a flooded parking lot at Valley High School seeped into the building and soaked several rooms in an area where renovation projects are ongoing, director of district maintenance Jerry Smith said. The contractor working in the building used sandbags to minimize the damage, Smith said.

Crews were also mopping up at John Miller School, a special education school that suffered a number of roof leaks, Smith said. But no students were scheduled to attend classes today.

Officials don't yet have an accurate damage estimate on all schools.

"I don't have a price tag on it yet," Smith said. "All in all I don't think it was that serious considering the amount of water we got."

Officials canceled the regular School Board meeting scheduled for Thursday. It has not been rescheduled. Thursday's storm also knocked out the air conditioning at the district's Education Center, where the meetings are held. Administration employees propped open doors and used fans during the day.

The storm also knocked out power briefly at the Community College of Southern Nevada's West Charleston campus at about 11:30 a.m. A one-minute blackout interrupted the meeting of the committee charged with finding a new Clark County Schools superintendent.