A one-hour power outage on Route 112 early Friday prompted Mohawk Trail and Hawlemont Regional district schools to close all day.
The power outage only impacted Mohawk Trail Regional School, Superintendent Michael Buoniconti said Friday. The schools’ back-up generator provides limited power, which does not include toilets.
The outage, caused when a power line came loose, occurred at about 6 a.m. and spanned roughly one hour, electric company Eversource spokesperson Priscilla Ress said Friday. More than 300 customers were impacted by the outage, Ress said.
Buoniconti made the decision to close all four schools in Mohawk Trail and Hawlemont Regional School Districts Friday at about 6 a.m., he said, after being notified by another employee that a transformer caught fire – though Eversource told The Recorder a fire did not occur. The incident was originally reported by a Mohawk Trail employee when they drove past the pole on Route 112 at about 6 a.m. and believed it to be on fire, Buoniconti said.
Buoniconti was compelled to close schools, he said, as the call came relatively late – usually closures are determined by 4:45 a.m.
“The word ‘fire’ got my attention,” Buoniconti said. “At that point I had no idea how long it would go on for.”
Although only Mohawk Trail Regional School had a power outage, Buoniconti closed all four schools, as this is the current protocol. If the districts were to a move to “partial closure system,” he said, families would need to be involved in discussions. Closing part of the school districts is complex and may cause some problems, Buoniconti said, including transportation, as both districts have the same contract. Also, families with children in more than one school may find it difficult to find childcare if only an elementary school is closed, he said.
“I didn’t want to make the decision on the spot,” Buoniconti said.
Reach Grace Bird at gbird@recorder.com or 413-772-0261, ext. 280.