Classes expected to resume Tuesday at Simon Kenton in Springfield

Simon Kenton Elementary School cancelled school on Monday due to electrical problems. Parents are upset because they did not receive phone calls, some even showed up to school before they realized it was closed. BILL LACKEY/STAFF

Simon Kenton Elementary School cancelled school on Monday due to electrical problems. Parents are upset because they did not receive phone calls, some even showed up to school before they realized it was closed. BILL LACKEY/STAFF

Students at a Springfield City School District elementary school woke up Monday morning to find that school had been unexpectedly canceled.

Simon Kenton Elementary School was closed due to, “loss of electricity,” according to a post on the Springfield City School District’s Facebook page.

“Simon Kenton Elementary School is closed today 8/26/2019 due to loss of electricity. This is for Simon Kenton Elementary only. Thank you,” the post said.

There was also a message posted on the homepage of the district’s website.

“Due to loss of electricity, Simon Kenton Elementary School and School Aged Child Care will be closed today, Monday, August 26, 2019. We apologize for any inconvenience that this closure may cause,” the message said.

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The district declined to provide information on what caused the loss of power.

Some parents expressed anger on the district’s social media page that they were not notified about the closure.

“Wish I would have at least gotten a call. I just walked almost two miles with my 6-year-old for no reason,” said Sue Rice. “Not everyone checks Facebook at 7 a.m.”

Jami Kylie Von Davis said she also didn’t get a call from the school alerting her about the closure, and that it was pure luck she found out about it on social media.

“Just so happened to jump on Facebook and seen that the school was closed,” Von Davis said.

Suzie Lohuis simply commented, “nobody called!!!!!”

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The Springfield News-Sun reached out to the Springfield City School District for more information about what caused the school to be closed, and if parents were notified, and was told there were no additional details other than what was posted on the district’s Facebook page.

Cherie Moore, communications director for Springfield City School District, said the school will resume classes on Tuesday.

“We will be back in classes [Tuesday],” Moore said.

According to 2018 data from the Ohio Department of Education, Simon Kenton has an enrollment of a little over 450 students.

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