Another West Seattle school hit by flooding from broken pipe

Thanks for the tip. For the second time in less than three weeks, a West Seattle elementary school has suffered flooding from a broken pipe. First it was Lafayette – yesterday, it was Arbor Heights Elementary. Students were dismissed earlier than usual on Wednesday (which is always a short day) because the pipe break, in the boiler room, required water to be shut off entirely, the district media office tells WSB. They also confirm the problem’s been fixed, the flooded area’s been dried, and school resumed normally today. Here’s the letter principal Lauren Porto sent to families.

Colby May 28, 2026 (5:19 pm)

I heard from a teacher friend at Arbor Heights that even though it was an early release day, staff were required to stay until the end of their working day at 3:55pm. Forced to work without water or working restrooms is not cool.

Guest May 28, 2026 (7:23 pm)

Not to mention against labor and OSHA laws.

Hammer in Hand May 28, 2026 (8:09 pm)

Most schools have an emergency kit that has a water supply for 3days and make shift restroom facilities Sound like a good drill could have been practiced to be prepped for the real and or big one. These are 1st world problems.

Colby May 28, 2026 (9:51 pm)

Are you aware that the makeshift bathrooms are like the 5 gallon buckets you find at Home Depot? Glad you think so little of teachers, that you feel they should be forced to use a bucket as a restroom. They could have easily been sent home early like the students. It’s obvious that the new Superintendent does not support the wellbeing of our teachers.
k May 29, 2026 (2:40 pm)

Most teachers are adults who are capable of getting work done from home if students are not in class. Cannot fathom a reason teachers had to stay in a building with no running water when they could continue to work from home.

Also going to assume that Hammer in Hand has never had a menstrual period, as no one who has would ever suggest using buckets for a restroom in anything other than an actual emergency, when it is literally the last option available to you.

We live in the first world. We do not need to create problems for ourselves when solutions are so close at hand.
- Hammer in Hand May 30, 2026 (6:16 am)
  
  Please don’t assume
  - K May 30, 2026 (4:32 pm)
    
    Generally I don’t, but it’s either a sound assumption or you’re trolling, and i like to give folks here the benefit of the doubt on the trolling thing.

Sarah May 28, 2026 (8:09 pm)

As a teacher at Arbor Heights I want to clarify that our building principal and vice principal were nothing but supportive and advocated for the needs of our students and teachers beginning to end. The directive that we had to stay until 3:55 without running water or bathroom access was sent from district leadership downtown, not our building leadership and was disappointing news to say the least.

Kelly May 29, 2026 (8:29 am)

I would expect nothing less from our wonderful AHES leadership. Thank you for guiding our kids through a chaotic day and getting them home safely.
22blades May 29, 2026 (8:42 am)

Thank you for hanging up the tin hats & hearing for the horse’s…nope…credible source. :-]
Guest May 29, 2026 (3:37 pm)

Everything I’ve seen from this new superintendent is very anti-teacher.