School board speaks out after costly damage to Huntsville High School

Huntsville High School on 58 Brunel Road, in Huntsville, Ont. (Google Maps)

The Trillium Lakelands District School Board (TLDSB) is urging the community to understand the seriousness of a recent incident at Huntsville High School that caused major disruption for students and significant strain on school resources.

Around Oct. 31, Ontario Provincial Police reported that unknown people accessed the roof of Huntsville High School located off Brunel Road.

“This act led to subsequent water damage to the ceiling tiles and drywall inside the building,” stated Carolynne Bull, manager of communications services with Trillium Lakelands District School Board. “Due to the nature of damage, two classrooms were relocated—one classroom for four instructional days and the other classroom for 10 instructional days—resulting in a significant disruption to learning for all students and staff involved.”

• Police investigating after suspect climbs onto high school roof, causing leak

Staff at TLDSB say the incident has also created a financial and operational burden. Emergency repairs, remediation, and restoration are expected to cost roughly $10,000, according to the school board.

“TLDSB is looking to educate the public about the reality of such an incident and what it means for the students, teaching staff, and school board,” continued Bull.

Custodial and facility services staff were pulled from other essential work to deal with the aftermath, adding to the strain. Bull says the team would have been completing other important work to maintain TLDSB buildings for the well-being of students and staff.

The board says it will continue to work closely with Huntsville OPP.

Police believe the damage would have been visible from the school parking lot or the nearby Canada Summit Centre and are asking anyone with information to contact the Huntsville OPP at 1-888-310-1122.