REGION : Leaking Roofs, Flooded Rooms, Outages Disrupt Schedule at Many Schools

The recent rains created a deluge of problems in some area school districts.

Compton and Lynwood schools were closed for one day last week as maintenance crews mopped up flooded classrooms, repaired damaged roofs and replaced fallen ceiling tiles.

At Long Beach Unified School District, 33 of 83 schools reported leaking roofs. More than 20 classrooms, including 12 at Polytechnic High School, were closed temporarily because of problems ranging from flooding to warped floors to power outages. Maintenance crews hauled in 2,500 bags of sand to prevent further water damage.

Two Harbors schoolhouse on Catalina Island was closed for a day because of a power failure. The one-room school is part of the Long Beach school system.

District spokesman Dick Van Der Laan said the damage sustained by storm-sieged buildings was the result of “the age of the buildings and record rainfall that could not have been anticipated.”

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In Lynwood, five classrooms were closed for the week after sustaining major water damage from severe roof leaks, according to Commodore Reid, the district’s maintenance director. One of the rooms lost 80% of its ceiling tiles.

Almost all of the district’s other schools reported minor leaks, Reid said.

Many of the buildings were slated for repairs, Reid said.

In Compton, 31 schools as well as district facilities were damaged, said district spokesperson Christine Sanchez. Classrooms and outside play areas flooded, several schools reported leaking roofs, and plaster was coming off walls.