Montclair Schools Damaged In Storm; ‘Ida’s Wrath’ Hits Hard

MONTCLAIR, NJ — Reports of damage from Tropical Storm Ida continue to emerge in Montclair after a major storm ripped through New Jersey on Wednesday. And four local schools didn’t escape what an administrator called “Ida’s wrath.”

The flooding and severe storm damage prompted Gov. Phil Murphy to declare a state of emergency across New Jersey. Montclair was among the many towns that felt the impact. Read More: Ida Wallops Montclair, Here's The Latest

On Thursday evening, Montclair School Superintendent Jonathan Ponds announced that four buildings in the district were damaged: Bradford, Edgemont, Hillside and Montclair High School. “While we were not in Ida’s direct path, we certainly felt the brunt of her wrath,” he said.

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The district’s maintenance and custodial staff were in the buildings Thursday and will continue to work on repairs. The district has also hired outside cleaning companies, an arborist and an electrician to assist them.

“I am confident that our Buildings and Grounds Department will remediate damages, and we will work relentlessly to open for in-person instruction on September 9,” Ponds stated.

Here’s what happened, and what the repair plan is:

BRADFORD

• Damages – Boiler room flooded and electrical panel was damaged
• Remediation – Water pumped out; electricians are assessing damages; will update us by the weekend. An outside agency will help clean and disinfect the area.

EDGEMONT

• Damages – Tree fell at the back end of the gym
• Remediation – An arborist will cut the tree down [Friday]. Engineers will arrive [Friday] afternoon to check on the structure of the gym.

HILLSIDE

• Damages – Ground floor flooded
• Remediation – Fire Department pumped out water. An outside agency will help clean and disinfect the area.

MHS

• Damages – Basement and the PIt flooded
• Remediation – Fire Department pumped out water. An outside agency will help clean and disinfect the area.

“Please know the district is working in close collaboration with Montclair’s emergency team, Mayor Sean Spiller, Town Manager Timothy Stafford, Fire Chief John Herrmann and Deputy Fire Chief Brian Wilde, Police Chief Todd Conforti and Deputy Police Chief Wil Young, and the Township Community Services Department to assess and address all damage in and around our schools,” Ponds said.

“We are thankful for the support of the township and these officials as we work to take the next steps to repair,” the superintendent added.

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