Engineers were on site this morning at Mendenhall River Community School (MRCS) to conduct a walk-through. The building was cleared for occupancy, and roof shoveling was to begin tomorrow. However, the gym is constructed differently than the rest of the school building, and concerns are growing about the snow load on the roof in the gymnasium. During a second, later inspection, the recommendation was made to relocate students and staff to Thunder Mountain Middle School out of an abundance of caution. All students and staff are safe.

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Students are currently being transported by school bus with their class and teacher to Thunder Mountain Middle School (TMMS), where they can be picked up after 1:00 p.m. today.

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To support the safe transfer of students to TMMS, no student will be released from MRCS.

The Juneau School District has a procedure to account for students and monitor attendance in the event of a building closure. In addition, traffic congestion in the MRCS drive may make the transfer of students difficult.

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Parents should go to the gym entrance facing the Dimond Park Aquatics Center to pick up their student. Please be patient and be prepared to wait for your student.

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Parents/guardians/emergency contacts must show ID in order to pick up students. Staff will record the information to make sure all students are accounted for and students are released only to those individuals who have been identified as permitted to pick up students.

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Lunch will be provided during this time.

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Students who have not been picked up by 2:30 pm can take their regular school buses home.

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Crews will start clearing snow on the school roof of Mendenhall River Community School (MRCS) tomorrow, Friday, January 9. MRCS will be closed while the roof is being cleared due to falling snow and temporarily blocked exits.

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During the closure, instruction will transition to remote learning. MRCS families and staff will be receiving additional information today on schedules and how to access remote instruction.

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Crews will be working through the weekend clearing MRCS. We are hopeful that MRCS will open on Monday, but remote learning may need to be extended into next week if shoveling is not complete.

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Roof clearing is being done as a precautionary measure in anticipation of additional snow fall. All schools will continue to be monitored as we receive more rain and snow.