Montclair HS Staircase Collapses, Officials Close School

MONTCLAIR, NJ — Montclair officials continue to probe the “structural soundness” of staircases at Montclair High School after one collapsed last week, with hopes that the school will reopen on Wednesday following a temporary closure on Sept. 11.

Nobody was injured when a set of stairs at the high school collapsed on Friday, Sept. 7. School workers immediately blocked off the affected staircase and rerouted all students and staff to the remaining staircases, according to a letter to parents from Montclair Schools Superintendent Kendra Johnson.

On Monday, several officials - including the district’s engineers - were on-site to assess the high school buildings. Johnson said that school administrators decided to close MHS for students and staff on Tuesday so that workers can further analyze the structural soundness of each staircase at Montclair High School.

Some sports teams were allowed to practice using the Field House and associated fields only, the superintendent stated.

Johnson wrote that it was her hope that the high school will be reopened on Wednesday. She shared some “commitments” to parents and students:

• Focus on Safety – “I will make critical decisions that promote the safety of our students and staff. While closing the high school the second week of the 18-19 school year is disappointing, it is a necessity. Once we re-open the high school, I will share the plan to address our compliance with state required seat time for all high school students. Safety is always the focus.”
• Ongoing Communication – “I will provide daily updates on or before 5 p.m. In the update, I will inform if we will open school the following day. My goal is to assess the building daily to make an informed decision. Safety is always the focus.”
• Status of the Repairs – “Our district architect and Director of Building and Grounds will provide an update to the Montclair Board of Education on September 17, 2018 at or around 7:45 p.m. If you are interested, you may attend the Board Meeting or watch the Board Meeting live on Channel 33. The meeting will be posted to our district website within 72 hours of the meeting. Safety is always the focus.”

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