The Dr. Bessie Rhodes School of Global Studies will be closed on Tuesday, Feb. 18 after sustaining damage from the water main break that occurred early Friday morning in Skokie, District 65 Superintendent Angel Turner announced in a Saturday email to families.
The break led to severe flooding in the area near East Prairie Road, McCormick Boulevard and Golf Road. It also sparked a boil water order for all of Skokie and part of northwest Evanston, though both towns said early Saturday that crews had worked all night to repair the water line and that service was slowly improving. Evanston lifted the order around 4:30 p.m. Saturday.
The flooding only impacted Bessie Rhodes among District 65 schools, Turner said, but the library and several classrooms experienced water damage, causing the district to call off Tuesday classes there to allow more time for clean up. Friday was a scheduled student non-attendance day, and all schools are off Monday for Presidents’ Day.
“Our team will work diligently over the next couple of days with a focus on clean up and mitigation to ensure a safe environment for all students and staff members,” Turner said. “This includes ensuring the proper drying and cleaning time to fully and safely restore classrooms and other learning spaces. If additional time is necessary, we will communicate accordingly with staff and families as soon as possible.”
Tuesday will not be an e-learning day for Bessie Rhodes students, either, according to a district spokesperson, though families can pick up cold lunches from 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. in the parking lot at the back of the building.
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