GUILDERLAND — Students at Farnsworth Middle School have spent the week learning at home after the boilers died at their school.
The situation proved so dire that the district is now hooking up a temporary boiler to heat the school. Then the boilers will be fixed — likely, by replacement — using emergency funds, said spokeswoman Courtney Barker.
The district does not yet have a cost for either the short-term fix or the overall solution, she said. It will not impact next year’s budget, which has already been adopted by the school board, she said.
Last week, three of the boilers broke down. On Wednesday, the superintendent sent out a message warning families that if the weather got worse, he would have kids learn from home on their Chromebooks while the boilers were repaired.
The temperature dropped. On Friday, Superintendent Daniel Mayberry said students would stay home this week. By state law, school buildings must be heated to 65 degrees Fahrenheit.
At first, he said, he hoped the disruption would take only two days. But the work has continued, with students out through Wednesday.
Without the three boilers, parts of the building do not have “sufficient” heat, he said.
“We understand that this is inconvenient, especially coming right after spring break. We appreciate your flexibility and understanding as we work through this. A temporary move to remote learning allows instruction to continue without extending the school year while ensuring the safety of students and staff,” he wrote in a letter to families.
He said Tuesday that he believes the work will be completed on Wednesday, allowing students to return on Thursday. It was not clear by Wednesday afternoon if the school still planned to have students return the following day.
Students have been attending live classes via their Chromebooks, which requires their families to find quiet places for each child. The district and the library have distributed internet hotspots to help families get online.