Three schools in Clark County deal with storm

Storm issues that affected three local schools this week have mostly been resolved.

Tecumseh Local School District sent middle and high school students home Thursday morning after losing power.

Donnelsville Elementary School students were also dismissed early because of losing power completely. Park Layne, New Carlisle and Medway operated as normal.

However, Donnelsville was closed Friday.

“Unfortunately, the loss of electricity ... has resulted in the water pump on the chiller at Donnelsville Elementary School malfunctioning,” Superintendent Paula Crew posted on the district’s Facebook. “This will result in no air conditioning today (Friday). Thus, we are canceling school today for Donnelsville Elementary School only, as the temperatures in the building elevated to the mid 70′s overnight and we have a heat advisory scheduled for our area today,”

Crew said students in the morning Latchkey program were taken to Park Layne and New Carlisle as usual, but that there was to be no after school latchkey at Donnelsville.

The pump was anticipated to be fixed by the end of the day Friday, and school should be open Monday.

Simon Kenton Elementary in the Springfield City School District dismissed students Thursday morning for the rest of the day due to a “significant water leak” in the building caused by the heavy rains, according to a post on the district’s Facebook page.

The leak has been fixed and students returned as normal on Friday.

Clark-Shawnee Local School District sent students in middle and high school home Thursday because of a power outage. However, elementary school students were not dismissed early.

The school lost power, and the middle school and high school campus cannot maintain the water system for an extended period of time without full power because the building is on well water.

Full power was restored to buildings Thursday evening, and students returned to normal operations on Friday. However, all evening activities were canceled.

Several power lines were also reported downed Thursday as the thunderstorms, rain and and wind hit the Clark County area.

Electric lines were reported down Thursday morning on New Carlisle Pike between McKees Mill Run and Brubaker Drive in Bethel Twp., Snyder Domer Road between Hominy Ridge and Willowdale roads in German Twp., and Milton Carlisle Road between Free and Bischoff roads in Bethel Twp., according to the Clark County Engineer’s Office.

The lines on all three roads have been repaired and the roads were reopened as of Friday afternoon.

About the Author

Brooke Spurlock covers education, crime and more in Clark and Champaign counties as a reporter for the Springfield News-Sun. She has been a writer for over five years, which includes her previous work as a breaking news desk investigator. Spurlock has her bachelor's in mass communications with a minor in psychology and her associates in paralegal.