MCDONOUGH, Ga. — More pipe problems caused one McDonough elementary school to not open as planned.
The water line tells the story at Ola Elementary School.
"So you see here, the water level rose rather quickly inside the classroom," said John Hardin, spokesperson for Henry County Schools. "It's almost at 12 inches right here."
Water gushed from a busted overhead fire sprinkler filling three classrooms with between 7 and a half inches and a foot of water before seeping out into the hallway.
"At one point this whole hallway was full of water and of course it made its way under the door frames and into the classrooms," said Hardin.
Maintenance crews inside prepping for the first day back from winter break quickly reacted. A team of teachers and volunteers along with service technicians worked to clear and clean the rooms of water damaged items. Dryers ran at full blast. The tile floor helped minimize the damage.
Teachers said, "it's only stuff" and "so long as the kids are safe, everything is alright."
One thing kept Ola from opening.
"The main concern was the sprinkler system that was inoperable," Hardin said.
The fire sprinkler system is repaired and back online clearing the way for students to return after an extended break.
"Kids will be back at school tomorrow. We're just going to shift some of the kids that are housed in these classrooms into other classrooms that are available," Hardin said.