Earthquake damage to the chimney and bell tower will keep the city’s top-performing public high school closed Friday and likely relocated to another school on Monday.
School Without Walls Senior High School has been closed since Wednesday, and was the only D.C. Public Schools campus to remain closed on Thursday.
The Foggy Bottom magnet will stay closed on Friday and relocate Monday to Eastern High School, a Ward 6 school with open space. It’s also accessible by the Metro’s Orange and Blue lines, like Walls.
Eastern can house students as long as repairs take, which officials estimate will be three to four days.
It is possible that Walls could reopen Monday, but it’s equally possible that Hurricane Irene could stall the work, as it is expected to hit the District this weekend.
DCPS officials said repairs to the chimney, which is a nonfunctional design element, should be no difficult feat: Plywood over nearby skylights ensure that no bricks will fall through.
However, work on the bell tower will require a crane and “more significant work.”
“We sincerely appreciate the patience of the School Without Walls community and the support of the Office of Public Education Facilities Modernization as we work to make repairs to the school,” Chancellor Kaya Henderson said. “While we considered other options for School Without Walls’ temporary relocation, opening unused space at Eastern High School will get our students back in classrooms quickly and provide continuity of instruction for the duration of repairs.”
