Water Main Break Forces 2 Medford Schools To Close

MEDFORD, MA — Two public schools closed Friday morning after an unexpected water main break left them without running water, according to Medford Public Schools.

The McGlynn Middle and Elementary schools canceled classes on Friday, Oct. 9, after a city water main broke outside the building. Officials said the lack of running water forced the cancellation in accordance with state law. All students and staff remained safe.

Middle school students who had already arrived were supervised in their homeroom classrooms while caregivers were asked to pick them up as soon as possible. Elementary school families were instructed not to come to school or enter the building. The Andrews Middle School and all other school buildings proceeded with a normal school day.

Medford Public Schools announced later Friday that all middle school students had been safely dismissed by 10 a.m. Staff members individually contacted families to coordinate dismissal, and Eastern Bus transported a small number of students home. Elementary students had not arrived when the cancellation was announced.

Before officials decided to cancel classes, the city’s Department of Public Works estimated that water would not be restored until mid-afternoon. The district said it could not safely operate the schools, including serving breakfast and lunch and responding to emergencies, without running water. Water was restored shortly after 8:10 a.m., but middle school dismissal was already underway, and elementary families had already been notified of the cancellation.

The missed school day will need to be made up for both McGlynn schools later this school year. The district said it will announce the makeup date at a later time.

“The decision to cancel school is never made lightly, but the safety of our students and staff will always remain our top priority,” Superintendent Suzanne Galusi, McGlynn Middle School Principal Nick Tucci and McGlynn Elementary School Principal Andy O’Brien said in the update.

The schools share a campus at 3002 Mystic Valley Parkway along the eastern bank of the Mystic River. Both are named after former Medford Mayor John J. McGlynn.

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