Sít' Eetí Shaanáx Glacier Valley Elementary School to remain closed for the rest of week due to roof shoveling
- Jasz Garrett
- 1 day ago
- 2 min read
"Remember that even when schools are open, you know the conditions in your immediate neighborhood and are the best judge of whether or not to send your child to school."
By Jasz Garrett
Juneau Independent
As announced on Tuesday, all Juneau schools, except Sít' Eetí Shaanáx Glacier Valley Elementary School, were open and operating on regular schedules Wednesday.
Juneau School District Chief of Staff Kristin Bartlett sent a message to families Wednesday afternoon that "we were hopeful that Sít' Eetí Shaanáx Glacier Valley would open tomorrow (Thursday), but the roof shoveling is not yet complete."
She said the elementary school will be closed the rest of the week while the shoveling is completed and Glacier Valley families and staff received additional information from the principal.
School buses will run on snow routes the rest of the week, according to Bartlett. As of Wednesday, buses are not going into any of the trailer parks due to the conditions. Parents can call First Student at (907) 789-7352 to coordinate where to meet the bus.
"Please be prepared for delays as travel may be slow," Bartlett wrote.
Superintendent Frank Hauser attended a press briefing on Wednesday discussing Juneau's disaster declaration in response to the recent heavy snowfall and this weekend's anticipated flooding from the snowmelt. He said it is up to parents' best judgment whether or not to send their children to school.
"Remember that even when schools are open, you know the conditions in your immediate neighborhood and are the best judge of whether or not to send your child to school," Hauser said. "Student absences due to unsafe weather conditions in your neighborhood will be excused."
He said the city is assessing and monitoring snow load on the roofs of city-owned facilities, including all schools. No school is currently above design load capacity based on the measurements taken, according to Hauser. Snow loads are also continuing to be monitored daily "out of an abundance of caution."
"Mendenhall River Community School has not reached the threshold at which roof shoveling is required," Hauser said. "However, it will be the next in line once the roof at Sít' Eetí Shaanáx Glacier Valley is clear."
• Contact Jasz Garrett at jasz@juneauindependent.com or (907) 723-9356.
