Flooding at Minneapolis' Henry High School frustrates teachers, students
MINNEAPOLIS — All this recent snow and rain soaked through the ceilings of a Minneapolis high school.
Teachers at Henry High School in north Minneapolis showed up to their classrooms on Tuesday with a layer of water across the floors. This week's spring storm seeped right through the ceiling.
"We deserve a safe place to work, but not to mention so do our students," said Sarah Spleiss, an educator at Henry High School.
A group of educators, all part of the Minneapolis Federation of Teachers (MFT 59), gathered outside the school Wednesday afternoon, to say that the water damage still hadn't been fixed, even though the school administration assured them that
the leaks were addressed overnight.
"The ceiling tiles are still sitting on the floor and the tables. [School Administration] just sequestered that space so the students don't go back there," said Spleiss.
These unionized educators say they're concerned about the short-term problem of getting their classrooms clean and safe, but also the long-term problem of mold growth.
"From my understanding, it takes a long time to get rid of mold in a building. We have spring break coming up. Are they going to work on it then? We have no idea," said Spleiss.
The school administration told WCCO in a statement, "We are taking additional steps to prevent any future leaks or mold growth. We will continue to closely monitor the situation and will continue regular inspections to ensure that the building remains safe and secure for all. "
"I'm tired of hearing, 'Oh there's a plan.' What's the plan?" said Jill Hartmann.
Adding to the stress, students are in the middle of taking finals. The quarter at Henry High School ends on Thursday.