A burst sprinkler head in Lincoln Bassett School’s library caused water damage to the library, STEM lab, and four classrooms, less than a week before the start of the 2026-27 school year.
The sprinkler broke on Tuesday; the school year for New Haven Public Schools (NHPS) starts the following Monday, on Aug. 31.
NHPS spokesperson Justin Harmon confirmed Tuesday that the sprinkler caused damage to several areas of the building.
Harmon said remediation work with vacuums and air scrubbers has started, though the district is still deciding “how best to welcome students on Monday” as a result of the water damage.
Reached for comment Tuesday, president of the New Haven Federation of Teachers (NHFT) Leslie Blatteau told the Independent in an email statement, “We are incredibly disheartened to hear about the flooded classrooms at Lincoln-Bassett Community School.”
She said that the incident will impact students and staff as the start of the year approaches.
“The first days of school should be filled with magic and wonder, not stress and confusion for students, educators, and families. So many teachers invest enormous amounts of their own time and resources to make classrooms welcoming for our students. And hearing this news on the day before we return to work is a heartbreak,” she said.
“What will help us move forward is accountability. We need NHPS and the Board of Education to take accountability for the ongoing facilities crises in our schools. Our members and our school communities cannot endure another school year with leaks, mold, undermaintained buildings, rodents, and broken HVAC. The time for accountability and system wide repair is now.”
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