Montclair Schools Reopen After Taking Damage In Hurricane Ida

MONTCLAIR, NJ — It wasn’t easy. But after crews worked through the Labor Day weekend – even on the holiday – several Montclair schools damaged in Hurricane Ida will be ready to reopen on Thursday, officials say.

Four local schools didn't escape “Ida's wrath,” Superintendent Jonathan Ponds previously said: Bradford, Edgemont, Hillside and Montclair High School.

• See related article: Montclair Schools Damaged In Storm; 'Ida's Wrath' Hits Hard

On Tuesday, Ponds gave an update on the storm repair effort in the Montclair Public School District.

“We want to thank our buildings and grounds personnel, township officials and the mayor’s office, and the fire, police and community service departments for their tireless work all weekend long even through the holiday,” he wrote.

“We brought in First Onsite, a disaster relief company, to remove damaged material and sanitize our flooded facilities,” Ponds added. “We will be open and ready for students on Thursday, September 9. I am looking forward to seeing you then.”

The superintendent shared the following updates about repairs.

BRADFORD

• Damages – Boiler room flooded and electrical panel was damaged
• Remediation – The power is on. All repairs completed.

EDGEMONT

• Damages – Tree fell at the back end of the gym
• Remediation – Inspection has been completed and we can occupy the building, including the gym.

HILLSIDE

• Damages – Ground floor flooded
• Remediation – All repairs completed. We are currently keeping the gyms off limits until the floors are fully dry.

MHS

• Damages – Basement and the Plt flooded
• Remediation – Cleaning and disinfecting will be completed by [Wednesday] afternoon. Several rooms needing abatement will be sealed off, but the rest of the building can be occupied. The high school principal will communicate to staff and families about which rooms are closed.

Send local news tips and correction requests to eric.kiefer@patch.com

Sign up for Patch email newsletters. Learn more about posting announcements or events to your local Patch site. Don’t forget to visit the Patch Montclair Facebook page.