For unknown reasons on Thursday, water sprayed from the fire-suppression system overhead of the auditorium’s theatre lighting and sound room in back, draining downward toward the stage where it pooled.
The high school was closed that day too due to frigid temperatures and if it wasn’t for a few fathers of students, who came in to work on stage sets for upcoming performances, the leak wouldn’t have been discovered until later, said Tari McKee, fine arts director for Hamilton Schools.
“With school closed, nothing else was scheduled for the evening. If those dads had not come in, this might not have been discovered till the next morning and possibly beyond. We were very fortunate to be spared greater damage,” said McKee.
On Jan. 16 a major water main break forced school officials to cancel classes at the high school on the following day.
Hamilton school officials said the two water damage incidents are unrelated.
McKee credited the school parents who discovered the problem for making it a “first priority was to get the sound board, light board, and associated equipment out of harm’s way as the water was coming down above the sound booth.”
“These boards, along with some other electronic equipment, such as microphones, computer, etc. are currently drying out and are to be assessed on Monday,” she said.
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