Phoenix-area schools closed, delayed following floods

School administrators throughout the Phoenix metro area canceled and delayed classes as a result of the massive storm that moved through the area early Monday, producing record-setting rainfall and widespread flooding.

Grand Canyon University, Benedictine University and all Maricopa Community Colleges are closed.

Arizona State University held all classes but the University of Arizona College of Medicine campus in downtown Phoenix was closed.

Many districts that opened schools urged parents not to bring students if safety was an issue, and said that late arrivals or absences would be excused with a note from parents.

The Phoenix Union High School District opened in the morning but then decided to cancel afternoon classes after providing lunch, according to spokesman Craig Pletenik. He said campuses would remain open until all students departed.

Administrators across the Valley were assessing damage throughout the morning.

Mesa Public Schools' cafeteria workers were scrambling to find alternative lunch spots at Holmes Elementary and Mesa High School, which had water damage in their cafeterias.

Debbi Burdick, superintendent of the Cave Creek Unified School District, which was open, said there were minor roof leaks and a lot of student and staff absences. Cave Creek canceled school-bus service north of Cave Creek Road.

Water leaked into the main district office of the Scottsdale Unified School District, near 44th Street and Indian School Road in Phoenix, but Superintendent David Peterson said there were no reports of damage in district schools. With dozens of street closures in Scottsdale, he said the transportation department was rerouting buses.

Most of Valley's biggest districts, including Mesa, Chandler, Deer Valley, Tempe Union and Paradise Valley, were open, although many canceled after-school activities and practices.

Schools that closed were determining how to make up the lost day. Leah Fregulia Roberts, principal of the Arizona School for the Arts in central Phoenix, said the charter school builds extra days into its calendar.

"Haven't had to use them for awhile," she said.

Administrators at Legacy Traditional Schools were meeting this morning to decide how the time would be made up, according to Centria Ewings, spokeswoman for the charters.

Chuck Essigs, director of government relations at the Arizona Association of School Business Officials and a former Mesa Public Schools assistant superintendent, said 1980 is the last time he could recall such widespread school closures in the Valley.

In January 1980, severe flooding on the Salt, Verde, Agua Fria, Gila and Hassayampa rivers took out 11 of the 13 Valley bridges.

So many streets were damaged because of flooding that some school districts around the Valley were forced to re-route buses during the entire 1980-1981 school year while repairs were being made, Essigs said.

Essigs said while bus routes may be disrupted for part of this week because of Monday's storm, he does not expect the damage to be nearly as severe as after the 1980 flood.

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Schools that are closed include:

All Saints Episcopal Day School

Arizona Agribusiness and Equine charter school campuses

Arizona School for the Arts

Buckeye Elementary School District

Buckeye Union High School District

Cartwright School District

Creighton School District

Christ Church School

Dysart schools

Eagle College prep

Fowler Elementary School District

George Gervin prep academy

Glendale Elementary

Glendale Union High School District

Great Hearts Academy campuses in Chandler, Maryvale and Cicero in north Scottsdale

Imagine charter schools

Laveen Elementary School District- attendance optional

Leading Edge Academy Queen Creek

Legacy Traditional Schools

Litchfield Elementary

Littleton Elementary

Maryvale Elementary

Paradise Honors High School and Elementary Schools

Pendergast Elementary School District

Phoenix Country Day School

Phoenix Elementary School District

Roosevelt Elementary School District

Star Shine Academy charter

St. John Bosco Catholic School

Tolleson Elementary

Tempe Union High School District- optional to attend or delay

Valley Lutheran High School

Victory High School

Villa Montessori

Washington Elementary