Classes were canceled for public schools in the District and Prince George’s County as teams searched the earthquake-rocked facilities for damage.
Last night, D.C. Chancellor Kaya Henderson planned to close only MarcFarland Middle, Roosevelt High and School Without Walls. But early Wednesday morning, a new release from D.C. Public Schools said all students and school staff should stay home while engineers make sure their classrooms are structurally sound.
“Understanding the impact to working parents and families, we made every effort to keep schools open,” Henderson said. “However, we felt it would be best to have qualified structural engineers thoroughly inspect all 126 school buildings so our parents and community members could feel confident we’ve placed the highest priority around ensuring the safety and well-being of their children.”
Along with damaged buildings, two DCPS students received minor injuries related to Tuesday’s 5.8-scale earthquake. At least 37 Prince George’s County schools were damaged, but school officials reported no injuries.
All schools were evacuated on Tuesday, and some were dismissed early.
Prince George’s school officials told year-round employees to report to work on Wednesday. Only DCPS central office was expected to clock in.
