District News

March 18, 2024

All GRPS schools to close Tuesday due to boil water advisory

Grand Rapids Public Schools will close all schools on Tuesday as the City of Grand Rapids deals with a water main break that has prompted a boil water advisory for a large portion of the city.

School: GRPS

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (GRPS) — Grand Rapids Public Schools will close all schools on Tuesday as the City of Grand Rapids deals with a water main break that has prompted a boil water advisory for a large portion of the city.

The water main break was discovered Sunday after residents reported a loss of water pressure. Because of the pressure loss, the city put a boil water advisory in place for a large portion of the city encompassing the northeast side and a small portion of the southeast side.

Twenty-two GRPS buildings are affected by the boil water advisory including the district’s nutrition services headquarters.

“The boil water advisory has had a huge impact on school operations districtwide so we have decided to close all schools on Tuesday so that we can address this matter,” GRPS Superintendent Dr. Leadriane Roby said. “Cancelling school for any reason is always a challenging decision. The health, safety, and well-being of our scholars must be at the forefront of our planning.”

When an all-clear is given, updates will be communicated. A decision about classes Wednesday will be communicated by close of business on Tuesday. The GRPS Facilities & Operations team will then visit each of the impacted buildings to flush the water systems. Bottled water will be made available at the affected schools once classes resume.

District offices will remain open.