Update: Wiscasset Interim Superintendent of Schools Robert “Bob” England Jr. said Thursday’s water main break has been fixed and WES was set to return to in-person learning Monday. Sunday night, England also told Wiscasset Newspaper the state accepted WES’s remote learning day Friday as one of the school’s 175 required school days. 

Original post:

Plans are under way for Friday, April 28 to be a remote learning day for Wiscasset Elementary School students, after a water main break was discovered right near the building Thursday afternoon, Wiscasset Interim Superintendent of Schools Robert “Bob” England Jr. said. England told Wiscasset Newspaper he spotted water coming out of the ground around the same time as students were finding trouble in flushing the toilets.

He called the school system’s transportation and maintenance director John Merry, the water was shut off, portable toilets were brought to the school and the students – who had already had lunch – were being dismissed at the normal end of the school day because it was so close to that time, it made more sense than trying to dismiss them early, England explained.

He planned to ask the state to count Friday as a remote learning day; if unsuccessful, he would then ask for a waiver so the school would still meet the required 175 school days.

Although the water main break was at WES on Federal Street, England cited one impact to Wiscasset Middle High School on Gardiner Road: Some WMHS staff have children who attend WES, he said. So plans were being made for WES educational technicians to be at WMHS to cover for those staff members, he said.

“A great team effort,” England said of everyone’s handling of the unexpected afternoon and the need to close the WES building for Friday. He had no word yet on if Monday, May 1 would be back to in-person learning for WES students.