Snapfinger Elementary School students relocated after water issue

Students moved during school day after water outage

Students who attend Snapfinger Elementary School were moved to different locations after the school building lost water Tuesday.

DEKALB COUNTY, Ga. - Students who attend Snapfinger Elementary School were moved to different locations after the school building lost water Tuesday.

Snapfinger water issue

What we know:

Snapfinger’s interim principal sent a letter to parents stating the school unexpectedly lost water Tuesday morning and that students were being taken to two different locations.

Pre-K through second-grade students were taken to Columbia Elementary School, while third- through fifth-grade students were moved to Columbia High School. The district said students were monitored by Snapfinger staff and continued their school day as normal.

A FOX 5 crew outside the school saw students being moved by school bus Tuesday morning. SKYFOX Drone captured the buses leaving Snapfinger before 11 a.m. and saw crews working on what appeared to be a pipe near the school.

For dismissal, all students were transported back to Snapfinger, according to the school.

Snapfinger relocation

What they're saying:

Deborah Jones, the president of the Organization of DeKalb Educators, called the loss of running water at the school "very unfortunate."

"Snapfinger is one of the older buildings in DeKalb," she said. "We have a lot of old buildings in DeKalb County, and this is just, I guess, one of the symptoms of having an older building."

Jones said Tuesday was the first time students were in class since the winter weather and low temperatures over the weekend.

"We have somebody in DeKalb whose job it is to make sure that all of the schools are functioning with heat, water, whatever they possibly need, especially after being out of the buildings," she said. "When you think in terms of the disruption and you want the kids to do the same thing, be the same way that they would had they been in the building, that’s unrealistic."

Snapfinger Elementary water outage

What's next:

Interim Principal Karen Stancil said the school and district are working together to resolve the water problem and will update parents as more information becomes available.

Possible pipe burst near Snapfinger Elementary School

Students were seen being transported from a Dekalb County elementary school following a tip we received regarding a possible pipe burst. We are following up with the school to confirm the situation. Stay tuned for updates.

Snapfinger Elementary School water loss cause

What we don't know:

A Snapfinger parent reached out to FOX 5 early Tuesday morning, stating the issue was caused by a pipe bursting. The district has not officially confirmed the cause.