ANDERSON TOWNSHIP, Ohio — Liam Pfeffer has only had one mandatory assignment in the past week. The Anderson High School senior said all his other coursework has been optional.
It's been a similar reality for the rest of his peers who haven't been able to learn inside the school since last Thursday. The building's been closed as its maintenance team and outside electrical contractors work to repair a major electrical malfunction.
A fire sprinkler head burst last Wednesday afternoon due to freezing temperatures and exposed multiple components of the building’s electrical system to water.
"I've been enjoying it, not having to go to school, sitting at home. I've been playing video games and hanging out with friends," Pfeffer said. "It's been like a break."
Take a look at the closed school and current repairs here:
Despite the abrupt lack of learning, Pfeffer said he doesn't feel worried about the rest of the school year. The same can't be said for some of his classmates.
"I know some people who are kind of mad that we have this break right now because they're worried about test scores and all that stuff, you know? Because they want to do their best," Pfeffer said. "From what I've seen. Some of their grades have dropped because there were some online homework assignments they forgot to do or they want to be studying because it's a lot of — I know I have a test the day we come back and a lot of people need the teachers' assistance to get there and the fact we're not in person makes it harder for some people to learn."
Forrest Hills School District Superintendent Larry Hook said the situation isn't ideal, but his team is taking strides to adapt as best as possible. Teachers have opened up virtual office hours and the ACT originally scheduled to happen Tuesday was moved to the make-up date of March 11, 2025.
"We do have great kids and really, our kids are doing well. Kids are going to learn if they want to learn," Forest Hills School District Superintendent Larry Hook said. "We have a handful of students who, you know this was unexpected. It's hard to have all of their equipment. Some kids take it home on a regular basis, some kids don't."
Accommodations have been made for students to contact school administrators and schedule a time to pick up academic materials, Hook said. However, all after-school activities, athletics and extracurricular activities hosted at Anderson remain canceled.
"We'll be fine. Honestly, things could be a lot worse, so I'm trying to find the silver lining in all of that and I know it's inconvenient for some of our parents," Hook said. "Really, you know depending on how you look at things, these are secondary-level kids. They're older kids, more responsible versus young children and the supervision levels are different."
WCPO got a look at the repair work underway. The fire suppression pipe was repaired the day it burst, while crews spent days drying and cleaning out water-logged electrical panels., most of which have now been tagged by the electrical contractor as operational and "ready to go," Hook said.
Though Hook could not answer how much the total bill would run, he did share that the main electrical replacement component cost $30,000.
"Thank goodness for insurance. That's the best that I can say," Hook said. "There's a reason you have insurance and this is it. Thank goodness for that, but it won't be cheap for sure."
Hook said safety is the district's top priority, and because the school has not been safe enough to house students for the past week, he stands by the decision to keep doors closed. Two inspections must be conducted on the electrical system before Duke Energy is called in to give the all-clear. Those inspections won't happen until Friday.
Hook said the hope is to reopen the school by Monday, though the district will keep parents updated on the repair progress should that timeline change.
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