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February 26, 2004Kingsley contemplates alternate options if school closes for the year Record-Eagle/John L. Russell Kirk Steffens shovels snow off the roof of Kingsley High School. Students may have to go to middle schoolByRecord-Eagle staff writer KINGSLEY - This was supposed to be spirit week at Kingsley High School - a fun-filled five days of dressing up in zany outfits, a lip sync event, powder puff game and a big deal dance to cap off the festivities. Ninth-graders Angela Bodjack and Jessica Achter looked forward to joining in the high school traditions for the first time. Instead, the girls are preparing to possibly go back to their old middle school after major roof problems were discovered at the high school, forcing the 3-year-old building to close indefinitely. "It's kind of embarrassing that a 3-year-old school is falling apart," Bodjack said. The topic of conversation throughout the village Wednesday was the high school roof, its broken and bent trusses and the "Do not enter" signs posted on the doors. Superintendent Michael Jurgensen met with engineers and maintenance workers behind a closed door Wednesday afternoon to discuss damage that caused high school classes to be canceled for the rest of the week. He said after the meeting he doesn't know who or what is to blame for the roof damage. Extensive truss problems were discovered Tuesday in the roof above the cafeteria and kitchen. School was closed for one day and part of another last week after a buckling roof was discovered in another part of the building. That problem was temporarily fixed, but Jurgensen said the truss problem presents a big safety concern. "We are putting in some stabilizing bracing so that we don't have the roof cave in," he said. Outside, a ladder extended to the school's roof where one worker shoveled snow all morning. Inside, the cafeteria ceiling appeared normal, and a group of workers ate lunch at a corner table. A maintenance worker cautioned that it wasn't safe to stand under it or near that part of the room. Achter, who spent the day working out at Paradise Valley Fitness to get ready for softball tryouts, attended a community event at the school last Saturday. "To know that we had 700 people in there when the building was getting ready to collapse was pretty stupid," she said. School officials want students back in class - somewhere - by Monday. A special board meeting will be held at 6:30 p.m. tonight in the middle school gym to discuss the options. Jurgensen said the most popular idea is to move high school students to the middle school. One group will attend classes in the morning, the others will come in around noon. Tenth-grader Russell Painter dropped by the library Wednesday and said he liked having a few days off at first. Now it's getting a little old and he's eager to return to class - but not necessarily with middle school students. "I used to go to the middle school, and it's kind of cramped," he said. "It would take a while to get used to it." Senior Nicole Hitchings wiled away a few hours up the hill at Primetyme Video. About this time during a normal school day she would be playing her baritone in band class. With the school closed, the band is meeting to practice for an upcoming competition at night. Hitchings doesn't mind a few late practices, but she doesn't want to be in school late this spring to make up for days off. "We aren't sure if we should be scared; we are quite confused," she said. "My mom is worried about graduation because we have people coming in from all over, and we have everything on order." The school district is focused on fixing the roof and restarting classes as soon as possible, Jurgensen said. But there are many details to solve, such as how to empty the lockers since students aren't allowed in the building. "The kids overall are upset, but they want to be in school," said Suzanne Pierce, a parent of a high school senior and a school cook. Pierce spent Wednesday in the high school kitchen, cleaning grease out of the deep fryer and shutting off pilots - the same routine kitchen workers go through when it shuts down for the summer. The school has sent all its incoming food orders to the middle school. "My concern is their (the students) safety, so I am glad they are taking precautions," she said.
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