During a rainy day, most people find it relaxing. The raindrops softly hit the windows, thunder booms far off in the distance, and flashing lights add a pinch of interest throughout the day.
However, on the northeast side of De Pere High School in room A110, Mrs. Enderby has a major flooding problem.
Every time it rains, the majority of the entrance of the classroom ends up having a puddle. It gets even more frequent when the snow in the spring starts to melt. Students who have Mrs. Enderby and staff around the area have dubbed the problem “Lake Enderby”.
With the first flooding this year happening on Sept. 3, students had to be relocated to a new area to continue class. But the worst it’s been was in the summer with 2 inches of standing water spanning from the stairwell all the way covering her entire room, according to Mr. Verstoppen, the head custodian
Most of the time, it takes around 30-60 minutes to clean up, Mr. Verstoppen said.
The sub filling in for Mrs. Enderby, Mr Polny, said, “It really is just an inconvenience, having to tell students what’s happening and possibly having to move to a different classroom.”
The problem can be expected to happen after heavy rain or after a long period of time during which it rains. Although it is called “Lake Enderby”, it really is just a puddle that stretches along the walls and around the door.
Sometimes, the flooding can also form in the back corner of the commons – not as bad as in Mrs. Enderby’s class, but still flooding. On the good side, there have been no reported injuries, as well as no visible water damage to the floor, walls, or door.
Though there is no water damage underneath the floor, there is still a possibility of mold growing, but the custodial staff is using a spray to combat the mold, Mr. Verstoppen said. Also, on the outside of the classroom, sometimes the pipes can leak, causing water to drip down the walls, adding to the problem.
But some more good news, Mr Polny also reported that they have seemed to fix the pipes and “haven’t had to have my bucket out since last year.”
In the classroom over, A111, Mrs. Missall reported having a bucket outside of her room for 5-plus years and can remember this problem for as long as she’s been here, a little over 20 years.
Mr. Verstoppen stated that there have been water damage services with cameras to scope out the issue. So far, the floor hasn’t been fixed, but funds are being saved for the problem.
