Debris cleared after months of uncertainty

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Alan Imar

An MDCPS Maintenance and Operations bulldozer clears the student parking lot of the dugout’s roof wreckage. The debris had blown away during Hurricane Irma in Sept. 2017.

Five months after Hurricane Irma made landfall in Fla., debris from the softball dugouts sat idly blocking parking spots in the student lot. On Thursday Feb. 9, MDCPS Maintenance and Operations employees drove in with two dump trucks and a bulldozer to clear the affected area.

Deadnrea Washington, one of the maintenance workers tasked with clearing the wood scraps, said the county’s maintenance department had not received a work order for the cleanup until earlier this week.

“We were unaware until someone sent an emergency cleanup email with pictures,” she said. “We can’t work without an order. We didn’t get it until [Wednesday].”

According to Washington, someone in the school took pictures of the damage, which led the Maintenance and Operations to dispatch the clean up team.

In December, the Lightning Strike reported that damages caused by Irma to the school were repaired–except for the dugouts’ roofs. Assistant Principal Humberto Brito said the work order for the dugouts’ roofs was filed within the week of Irma, and the timeline for repairs is determined by the district.

“The county assessed work orders, which is basically a system of us advising the county of an issue we have,” Brito said. “They prioritize and respond accordingly.”

The Strike is awaiting comment from the MDCPS Office of Risk & Benefits Management.

Brito added that in addition to new softball dugout, Krop would be getting a new track.