Port Chester Middle School Remains Closed Thursday For Fifth Straight Day

PORT CHESTER, N.Y. - Port Chester Middle School remains closed on Thursday as a precaution while officials inspect the building after a piece of concrete fell in the building and created a hazard.

Workers outside the Board of Education and District office entrance of Port Chester Rye Union Free District on Tuesday Oct. 31. Ongoing emergency repairs have kept the offices and Port Chester Middle School closed since Friday.
Photo Credit: *Jon Craig*

Zak Failla

11/02/2017 12:15 p.m.

The closure is due to an “ongoing safety measures continue to ensure that Port Chester Middle School can reopen safely,” school officials announced. All other schools in the district are in session, as is the Central Office.

In a statement, the school district said that a mounting for a decorative concrete panel failed, causing the panel to fall to the ground and damage a classroom's window. Emergency measures to ensure the school can safely reopen may cost more than $400,000, because the school building has 90 of those panels, and due to the one failure, they will be installing fencing around the rest.

There were no injuries reported and it happened when school was not in session. The Port Chester School Board said it is examining several options for a permanent solution, which will be developed and presented by the district's architects and engineers.

It was not immediately clear when the school will reopen and a decision on Friday's classes is expected later on Thursday afternoon.

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