UPDATE: School Canceled For Wednesday; Three Naugatuck School Still Without Power

Update 4:13 p.m.

Superintendent John Tindall-Gibson announced that school has been canceled for Wednesday, Nov. 2, marking the third day in a row.

Naugatuck High School, Hillside Intermediate School and Western Elementary School still lack power, Tindall-Gibson said.

Original Story:

Three Naugatuck schools are still without power Tuesday adding, once again, to the question on whether school will be cancelled for a third day in a row on Wednesday.

Superintendent John Tindall-Gibson said he will be making a decision by 4 p.m. today. Naugatuck Patch will post the news as soon as we obtain the information.

“I don’t know the story for the rest of the week,” Tindall-Gibson said, noting that CL&P crews were behind the high school Tuesday working on power lines affected by fallen branches. “The activity’s got me hopeful there will be a couple of school days this week.”

Naugatuck has now officially used up one week of “snow days,” and if school is closed for one more day then the district’s planned February vacation will be cancelled.

School was closed for three days in late August after Tropical Storm Irene, and the district used an additional two days this week following the October snowstorm.

According to the school district, “If five snow day are used prior to Feb. 10, then February vacation will be reduced by three days.” This means the only holiday in February will be the Monday and Tuesday — which is the federally-designated President’s Day holiday.

Tindall-Gibson said three schools are still without power as of 1:30 p.m. today: Naugatuck High School, Western Elementary School and Hillside Intermediate School. The other remaining elementary and intermediate schools, as well as City Hill Middle School, have since regained power, he said.

Two of Naugatuck’s school — City Hill and Andrew Avenue Elementary School— are functioning right now as overnight shelters for anyone who still lacks power in the borough. Mayor Robert Mezzo said the schools will be open again at 5 p.m. tonight and residents looking to utilize the shelter space just have to bring proper bedding.

When asked about whether cleaning up the shelter — and clearing the some 200 cots that have been brought in for residents — Tindall-Gibson said that likely won’t interfere with school plans.

“We may end up doing something like running school for a couple of days and then opening the buildings afterhours as a shelter for people to get a hot meal and a place to sleep,” he said. “But that’ll depend on what happens.”

The superintendent added, “As soon as we get power in the buildings we’ll be able to get school going.”