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Marietta City Schools works to repair damage after pipes rupture

By FOX 5 Atlanta Digital Team
Published  December 29, 2022 5:54pm EST
Marietta
FOX 5 Atlanta

Marietta City Schools unite to repair water damage

Students in Marietta City Schools are scheduled to return to school next week despite pipes breaking at a couple of campuses. Administrators say everyone truly pulled together to dry out the problem.

MARIETTA, Ga. - A community has pulled together ensure water damaged schools in Cobb County can open on time for students next week.

After pipes ruptured in two Marietta City Schools during the freezing temperatures over Christmas weekend, administrators say they are blown away by the help they are getting to put everything back together.

Faculty and staff are working tirelessly at the Emily Lembeck Early Learning Center in Marietta to clean up and dry out the mess.

"The initial damage was it was raining from the ceiling and the ceiling collapsed in one of the girls' bathrooms," said Kimberly Custance, the director of Marietta Community School.

Two teachers setting up for a drivers’ education class the day after Christmas noticed water pouring in from the ceiling at the center.

"We called maintenance out and they dropped everything, this was the day after Christmas and our maintenance team dropped everything and came out to the school immediately," said Custance.

While crews were there for the initial rupture, another indoor rain shower started in the cafeteria. Soon after, they got word about damage at Sawer Road Elementary School.

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Marietta City Schools work to repair two of their facilities before the class resume next year after pipes rupture in the freezing weather. (FOX 5)

The chief operations officer for the district says without the timely response from the maintenance team, they would be looking a lot more damage.

"We had more people willing to help than we even needed. We have a great family atmosphere, and it just speaks a lot to those guys and their work ethic and love for this school district," said Marietta City Schools COO Chuck Gardner.

Other than fans blowing, and some baseboards removed, things appear to be back to normal at the early learning center. Ceiling tiles got replaced, and almost everything is already dried out.

"Hopefully, our teachers and kids come in next week, and they don't know anything happened," said Gardner.

Superintendent Grant Rivera emailed parents and caregivers of the students to let them know their children should be set to return to school Wednesday, January 4, 2023, as scheduled.