Lockport freshmen begin classes at Lincoln-Way North following ceiling collapse at Central Campus

“How was the bus ride? Long? Did you get an extra 20 minutes of sleep?” asked Lockport Township High School Dean Ryan Visser as freshmen got off school buses Wednesday and walked into Lincoln-Way North High School in Frankfort.

The students, who had been elearning since Nov. 3, eagerly entered the building and talked with their classmates as they waited to have their IDs scanned in the foyer of the performance art center.

Nevein Parada said she took a bus from her regular bus stop in Lockport to the East Campus, where the district’s sophomores through seniors attend, and then took another bus to Lincoln-Way North. The bus ride was long, she said, but worth it to have class in person.

“It’s easier this way,” Parada said.

The first round of buses arrived at 7:50 a.m. The district’s plan is to have 22 school buses take freshmen from East Campus to Lincoln-Way North. The district has about 900 freshmen, officials said.

The first bell was at 8:15 a.m., and students and staff started the day with an assembly. Principal Kerri Green said she talked about the importance of creating a sense of belonging and acceptance.

“Culture is not about a building, it’s about the people in it. Whether we’re at Central Campus or Lockport North, we want to continue that culture. Our motto is best self, best work,” Green said.

Green said students and staff appeared happy to be back in school.

“We’re just excited. We’re excited to see the kids. We’re excited to have them back in person because it’s what’s best for them. We’re grateful to see them. We’re grateful to Lincoln-Way for allowing us this opportunity to be in this building,” Green said.

Wednesday was the first time the students had in-person classes since officials dismissed school Nov. 2 after discovering a collapsed ceiling inside classroom 310 at Lockport’s Central Campus. A motion camera activated the evening of Nov. 1, when the ceiling collapsed, officials said.

The collapse was caused by plaster loosening from the wood frame amid weather changes and moisture, said Superintendent Robert McBride. The building was built in 1909, though the room was part of an addition built in 1928, and the primary construction method then involved plaster nailed into wood framing, McBride said.

The Lincoln-Way High School District 210 Board approved an intergovernmental agreement with Lockport Township High School District 205 Nov. 9 for the use of Lincoln-Way North as the Lockport freshmen campus. The Lockport District 205 Board approved a resolution allowing the agreement two days earlier.

Under the agreement, which still requires a final vote by the Lockport board, the District 205 will pay $250,000 a month for three months to use parts of Lincoln-Way North, McBride said. The payment includes deep cleaning, utilities and rent, he said.

McBride said it is likely the monthly cost will decrease because deep cleaning won’t be necessary and utilities decrease in winter months. Lincoln-Way North opened in 2008, but has not been used as a high school since 2016.

At Lincoln-Way North, McBride said the class periods will be 37 minutes, which is five minutes shorter than normal, to allow for travel to and from East Campus. McBride also said freshmen won’t have a late start on Wednesdays as they did at Central Campus.

Passing periods are three minutes, McBride said, because the classrooms are close to each other and the majority of classes are within one wing of the school. The science classrooms are on the second floor of the wing the district is using and some spaces of the building’s other wing are being used as well, he said.

The students aren’t using lockers, McBride said, because it would take much longer to reset the combinations and assign them to students. Instead, students are asked to carry backpacks.

McBride said he drove behind the last bus from East Campus to Lincoln-Way North Wednesday and said it took about 15 minutes.

“It went smoothly. We hope I-80 is going to be kind to us,” he said.

As freshmen returned to East Campus in the afternoon, some waited outside for their bus home.

Laney Halpin and Cassidy Ohotzke were waiting for their regular bus to Homer Glen.

“I’m glad they let us come back,” Halpin said.

Both said the day was well organized and the Lincoln-Way North building will serve them well.

“It’s way better than elearning,” Ohotzke said.

Mia Nolan, a freshman meeting her mom, who parked the car near East Campus, said it was easy to find her classes throughout the day because the classrooms were so close to each other.

“It was nice to be back in a real school,” Nolan said.

With freshmen set up at Lincoln-Way North, McBride said the district’s focus will shift back to repairs at Central Campus. The forensic architects inspecting the building have a draft report of the status of the ceilings, he said, which will guide the board in determining how to do repairs.

The portion of the building where the ceiling collapsed was built in 1928, McBride said. An initial report of the ceiling in and around classroom 310 found that the structure presents a high risk for damage, he said.

“The bottom line is an almost 100-year-old ceiling system is going to need to be replaced at some point,” he said.