According to a KSL report, “Utah’s mountain snowpack has surpassed 20 inches for the first time since 2019 and only the eighth time over the past 25 years,” This is a welcome development in a state suffering from drought in recent years.

One drawback to increased moisture, however,  is flooding issues, particularly in buildings like Cottonwood with older roofs.

Flooding further damaged the ceiling in English teacher Riley Hanni’s room on December 5th, 2022, in the latest in a series of leaks that have soaked the ceiling and ruined tiles over the past few years. Hanni’s classes have been significantly affected by this because the class had to move into the math pod and lecture halls.

Unfortunately, the class has not been able to return to their regular classroom since. This has been a frustrating experience for the students and the teacher.

“My student’s routine has been very thrown off because we have not been in our normal space. We have been in a lecture hall which makes it really difficult to have collaborative work, which is a big way I like to teach,” said Hanni.

Her students described how being displaced from their classroom is affecting their learning life.

Ephraim Cano said, “It was very hard because we had to go to the lecture hall and then my grade dropped like instantly, and then Ms. Hannis’s mood changed like she was going through a lot of stress because all her stuff got destroyed.”

Hanni is hopeful that her classes will be back to normal, in their classroom, by spring break.

The school district has hired roofing contractors to fix it because this job is too big for Granite to do. In other words, the contractors have to carefully prepare the roof. Because of the layers on the roof and the age of the building, finding one single “hole” is problematic. For example, one hole leads to many cracks and holes that are not apparent when standing on the roof. Additionally, they also must replace the insulation because it is so soaked. According to Don Adams, it will cost 10-15  million to fix the 550 square feet of Hanni’s classroom. Cost and wet weather have contributed to the delay.

Principal Mike Douglas said, “Currently, we are at the mercy of the contractor. In the current economy, contractors are in short supply and the costs for work are extremely inflated.” 

“The roof leak in room 229 is of the highest priority for me and the district departments in charge, ” Douglas said.

Please click the link below to view Principal Douglas´ full responses to the reporter´s questions:

Principal Douglas Answers Questions about Room 229