Kettle Moraine High School floods, expensive repairs ahead

 

WALES, Wis. (CBS 58) -- Rain from the weekend flooded parts of Kettle Moraine High School, causing students and staff to resort to online learning all week.

"I was quite shocked, and my socks got wet very quick, walking in to find an inch or more of water standing everywhere," said Justin Bestor, the Kettle Moraine High School principal.

A new parking lot was constructed at the high school this summer and Bestor says that’s when they believe an underground drainpipe clogged.

"It came back up through the school and caused probably a third of our building, probably an inch if not more, of standing water in a lot of our classrooms and hallway spaces," said Bestor.

About 1,300 students and staff members are now virtually learning during their big homecoming week.

"I'm sure the students are bummed," said Bestor. "We want to be in person, we want to be around our friends, we want to have classes with our favorite teachers and be at lunch with our buddies."

Crews are working to welcome students back Monday, but the superintendent says the gymnasium took a big hit.

"This could affect sporting activities, phy-ed classes, and now we have to kind of go through that and see how we are going to fix that," said Steve Plum, the superintendent for the Kettle Moraine School District.

While there is no total estimate yet, Plum says they are looking at hundreds of thousands of dollars' worth of damage.

"Over time, we can fix those things," said Plum. "The big thing is let's get the kids back there as soon as possible."

Students and staff were excited for spirit week and homecoming this weekend, but with the damages, it has been rescheduled. Bestor says the homecoming game is set for Oct. 11 and the dance will be Oct. 12.