Two Marietta City Schools were damaged after extreme cold hit the area. 

The Emily Lembeck Early Learning Center and Sawyer Road Elementary sustained damage after the bitter cold hit our area during the holiday break. That break didn’t stop Marietta City Schools (MCS) employees from stepping in to help when time was of the essence. 

“Our maintenance and custodial crew is first rate,” said Superintendent Grant Rivera, “They put their holiday aside to respond to broken water and sprinkler lines at two separate schools. There is never a good time for this to happen to anyone, especially the holidays, but I am thankful for their commitment to our students and staff.”

Sawyer Road Elementary saw damage to hallways, classrooms, and their media center. The Early Learning Center saw damage to their cafeteria. MCS is already working with the Georgia School Boards Association to bring in dehumidifiers and other remedial equipment as MCS staff work to begin the repairs.

“We knew the extreme cold could be a problem, and when we first heard about the damage, our employees were right there to help,” said MCS Chief Operating Officer Chuck Gardner, “Our operations employees didn’t hesitate to get to work to ensure our students and staff could go back to schools that could provide the supportive learning environments they’re accustomed to.”

At this point, the district does not know the extent of the damage. However, MCS crews are working around the clock to ensure students have a classroom to return to Wednesday, January 4th.

“We are assessing the damage and the impact on our students, but we know our district is resilient,” said Rivera, “Marietta City Schools works hard every day to make sure our students’ learning environment makes it easy for them to be successful. That work continues to ensure these challenges have as little impact on students as possible.”