On Monday, November 16, Robert J. Kaiser Middle School students and staff were dismissed early due to issues with the school’s heating system.
The school is currently using a temporary boiler while the former heat exchange unit is being replaced. In the early morning hours, the temporary boiler ran out of fuel oil and subsequently turned off. An emergency fuel oil delivery was made and the boiler was restarted by 7:30 a.m. At around 8:50 a.m., with several rooms still below 65 degrees, the administration decided to dismiss students early.
After students and staff were dismissed, the school’s facilities team discovered that a human error had prevented the system from effectively circulating heat after the boiler had been restarted. This has been corrected, and the building will reopen as planned tomorrow. The school has also increased the frequency of fuel oil deliveries to three times per week.
“The district’s first priority is always the safety of our students and staff,” Superintendent of Schools Dr. Matthew Evans said. “We’ve completed an internal review of this situation with our staff, and have made changes to prevent this in the future. On behalf of the district, I’m sorry for this disruption, and thank our families, students, and staff for their patience and flexibility.”