Education
Education

Power outages, tree damage force DeKalb Schools to close a fourth day

Empty classroom (stock photo).

Credit: Steve Williams Photo

Credit: Steve Williams Photo

Empty classroom (stock photo).
By Marlon A. Walker
Sept 13, 2017

DeKalb Schools will remain closed for a fourth consecutive day, as officials work to restore power to buildings and address schoolhouse damage related to Tropical Storm Irma.

The district was the only in metro Atlanta so far to announce a full closure. Fulton County Schools announced a partial closure for Thursday, as only a handful of schools will be affected.

“Safety is key,” Superintendent Steve Green said in a release. ”Right now, there are several challenges that present a potential threat to our students such as buildings and homes without power, and fallen power lines and trees. We remain hopeful to reopen our schools and offices soon, but not at the expense of our students and staff

District officials said about 32 schools were without power at noon Wednesday. Nearly double that were without power at the same time Tuesday. Workers also are out addressing "significant issues" such as fallen trees on rooftops and down trees that currently hinder travel to some schools.

“Teams of DCSD employees have been assessing the status of schools and working with appropriate organizations to reopen schools as quickly and safely as possible,” the district said in a statement.

About the Author

Marlon A. Walker is an education reporter covering DeKalb County.

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