December 28, 2022
Dear Gold Bar Citizens and Families,
We are writing to you today to provide an update regarding some of the recent weather we have experienced and the impacts the weather has had on our schools. Before laying out the specifics of how Gold Bar Elementary School was impacted, I want to acknowledge that we are aware that Gold Bar has had more than its fair share of difficult weather that has impacted the community in many ways.
Whether it has been heavy smoke from wildfires to high winds, snow, power outages or freezing rain and downed trees, the challenges for Gold Bar residents have been non-stop and we are hopeful that these challenges are behind you.
During the recent freezing rain event in Gold Bar when the power subsequently went out, we experienced some broken pipes within the fire suppression system that ultimately led to about 2 inches of water spreading throughout the kindergarten-First Grade wing of the building which includes all rooms and classrooms. Fortunately, our operations department was able to get a crew of staff on the problem right away to remove the excess water which minimized the damage. This was followed with use of a restoration company that specializes in water removal among other things. They have been on campus over the break and that will continue behind the scenes and during closed hours after we reopen on January 3, 2023.
We are opening as scheduled on January 3, 2023. When we return to school, Room 1 which is a Kindergarten classroom that is taught by Ms. Trisha Wiley will be moving temporarily to one of our portable classrooms. This is because this classroom was the source of the broken pipe and as a result, the clean up needed in this room is more extensive than other rooms in the school. Additionally, Mr. Monson will also temporarily move his counseling office due to the space being a low point in the building that ultimately was a collection point for water.
In closing, most of the issues have to do with wet carpets that are largely dry at the time I am writing this. However, we are continuing to monitor other potential issues that have resulted from this situation including the potential need to replace carpets and repair anything else that arises as the result of water damage. If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to reach out to us and be looking for further communication directly from Gold Bar Elementary School.
Sincerely,
Dan Chaplik
Superintendent, Sultan School District
Heather Anderson
Principal, Gold Bar Elementary School
Heather.anderson@sultan.k12.wa.us
360-793-9840 x1410