Roof of Ashtabula Lakeside High School partially collapses due to snow

SAYBROOK, Ohio – Heavy lake snow has forced the only high school in the city of Ashtabula and its surrounding communities to close.

The roof of Lakeside High School in Saybrook Township partially collapsed over the weekend. The National Weather Service estimates that Saybrook has received more than 5 feet of snow in the last few days.

“We found some ceiling tiles laying on the ground and water was coming in,” township fire chief John Jyurovat told reporters Monday.

In this area, residents say snow and cold usually peak in January or February. Lisa Newsome, superintendent of Ashtabula Area City Schools, was shocked at the extent of the gatherings from late November through December.

“We’ve never seen this much snow,” Newsome said. “This morning at around 1:55am we received another alarm. We found that the roof was actually collapsing in some areas.”

Most significant was the partial collapse of the academic wing where classes take place. Newsome said engineers have informed the district that the building is structurally unstable, even though it is relatively new after opening in 2006 and has a campus feel.

Repairs could take weeks, Newsome said. Now it’s about what to do with the 800 students who were scheduled to return this week after Thanksgiving break.

“My job and my priority is to make sure the students are educated,” Newsome added, “so we have to move for now.”

While plans are still being developed, Newsome says some of the teens may be moved to the middle school across the street. There have also been discussions about a possible partnership with Kent State University, which operates a satellite campus in Ashtabula.

Officials also insist that they do not want to resort to distance learning but instead want to keep children in the classroom.