FORT WALTON BEACH — Okaloosa County schools weren’t immune to the effects of sharp temperature dips this week.
Despite precautions such as leaving faucets dripping and cutting off outside water sources, maintenance workers have been in constant demand.
“We had a lot of calls for heat-related issues. We had some pipes burst,” said Steve Bolton, the school district’s maintenance program director.
“Tuesday, Wednesday and even (Thursday) was a lot of reacting.”
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A water line broke outside a portable classroom at Walker Elementary School in Crestview. A heating/air conditioning unit for the media center and several classrooms at Fort Walton Beach High School also went down.
School district officials also continued to deal with problems at Longwood Elementary School on Thursday after a gas actuator broke and caused the boiler to not stay lit.
Although patchy heat allowed students to stay at the school, officials were prepared to move them to the old Combs-New Heights Elementary School building on Lovejoy Road if necessary, said Assistant Superintendent Nick Kootsouradis.
Crews also were trying to correct numerous other problems as quickly as possible in-house, Bolton said.
“We’re dealing with a lot of old stuff we don’t have the money to replace,” he said.
Contact Daily News Staff Writer Katie Tammen at 850-315-4440 or ktammen@nwfdailynews.com. Follow her on Twitter @KatieTnwfdn.