North Texas Schools Accessing Winter Storm Damage, Water Access Before Reopening

FORT WORTH (CBSDFW.COM) — Students across the Metroplex are getting one more snow day Friday. But schools are spending the day, and likely the weekend, trying to figure out if they'll be ready for students to return next week.

The sun is out, the temperature is going up, but North Texas schools have been locked up in the cold all week.

Officials with the Fort Worth Independent School District told CBS 11 News it wasn't until Friday that they were able to get back into some buildings for the first time.

While administrators know there is damage in some buildings it's a big district and it takes time to check everything.

The same assessment is happening at districts all over the region.

Officials with the Keller ISD believe they will continue to find leaks from broken pipes, and say they are still working on getting a full picture of how that impact plans for Monday classes. As it stands, there could be space that's unusable and damaged heating systems not functioning properly.

Arlington ISD administrators told CBS 11 News on February 18 that it had almost two dozen buildings with damage so far.

Essentially anything that North Texans struggled with at home this week, was also impacting school campuses.

"I can tell you today that there are some buildings that we do not anticipate being able bring operational for Monday," explained Arlington ISD Superintendent Marcelo Cavazos. "And we know that the same issues that we are dealing with in our facilities, our communities are dealing with at home. Busted pipes, water situations, water boil orders. Heat, power and those are the same issues that our communities are dealing with."

The water boil orders for cities across the Metroplex are a separate, serious, issue. It they aren't lifted, it would mean no drinkable water at schools and impact food preparation.

Schools are all set up for virtual learning of course, but even that, with the power issues, potential network impacts, may not necessarily be an easy option.

Most districts are saying they will communicate what the plan is, once they know more on Friday.