One Orange County elementary school closed and another was without running water for several hours Monday after freezing temperatures hit Central Florida over the weekend.
Summerlake Elementary School, located in Horizon West, was closed because of “significant facility issues” caused by temperatures reaching the low 20s. Whispering Oaks Elementary School, located in Winter Garden, was without running water early in the school day but fixed the issue and remained open.
No other public schools in Central Florida reported cold-related problems.
Michael Ollendorff, a spokesperson for Orange County Public Schools, said Summerlake Elementary had a “faulty backflow device”, which protects clean drinking water from sewage. By 1 p.m. Monday, the district said it completed the repairs and the school would open again Tuesday.
Ollendorff said students at Whispering Oaks were provided bottled water if they needed, and bathroom use was allowed “for emergency purposes” until repairs were made.
Some frustrated parents took to OCPS’s Facebook page to complain that all schools should have closed Monday with temperatures below freezing early in the morning.
“Think about the children who walk to school. Think about the parents who have to drop their kids off early, leaving them waiting outside before the doors open. Think about the staff who must stand outside in the cold …” one parent wrote. “Doing the right thing matters.”
Others said they planned to keep their students home for the day, despite the district’s decision.
The Lake, Osceola and Seminole county school districts opened all campuses on Monday.
“Our schools will ensure that students are indoors upon arrival and through dismissal to ensure everyone stays comfortable throughout the day,” an Osceola school district Facebook post read.