CHRISTIANSTED – Students at Lew Muckle Elementary School in Sion Farm were sent home early when administrators discovered “non-structural spalling of concrete in Building J.”
The Office of the Insular Superintendent issued a statement on Facebook at 9:30 a.m. on Monday saying parents should come to pick up their children early.
“Buses will return to the school at 1 p.m. to transport students to their regular drop-off locations, but parents may pick up their children at this time,” the V.I. Department of Education said.
The Department of Planning and Natural Resources, the police department, the Virgin Islands Territorial Emergency Management Agency (VITEMA), Virgin Islands Fire Services, Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), and an engineering team from the Department of Public Works are at the campus conducting walkthroughs and assessments of all buildings of the same design.
No injuries were reported.
Once the structural assessment report is complete, the district and school administrators will schedule meetings will faculty, staff, parents, and appropriate unions to share the findings.
The school was scheduled to re-open for instruction today.
Spalling occurs when water enters concrete and pushes out, causing cracks, usually around reinforced steel (rebar) put into concrete to reduce cracking.