BEMENT, Ill. (Chambana Today) — The Bement School District announced that students will transition to remote learning today due to ongoing heating issues in the main portion of the building. The district’s heating system, which is powered by a steam boiler, experienced significant problems beginning Friday morning, prompting early dismissal for students and staff.

“We noticed the issue first thing Friday morning,” said Superintendent Mary Vogt. “Technicians responded quickly, and by mid-morning, they determined that the boiler was not operating as it should. At that point, we decided to send students home early for safety reasons.”

By Friday night, the boilers were briefly operational, but a critical issue involving the pilot valve was identified, causing a dangerous buildup of natural gas. “This created a potential fire hazard, so we made the decision to shut down the system on Saturday evening,” Vogt explained. “We’re prioritizing safety, which is why we’ve chosen to continue with remote learning on Monday.”

The issue with the boiler remains unresolved as of Sunday evening, with technicians still diagnosing the root cause of the malfunction. “We don’t yet have a repair timeline,” Vogt said. “There’s always a possibility that additional problems may arise once the current issue is fixed, but we’re hopeful that we can have things up and running soon.”

In the meantime, the district has turned to its Emergency Remote E-Learning Plan to ensure that students can continue their education. “This is exactly why we have remote learning days built into our emergency response planning,” Vogt noted. “Whether it’s a snowstorm, severe weather, or a heating failure like this, we want to keep students learning while keeping them safe.”

For elementary students, the plan includes work packets and online group sessions. Middle and high school students will follow a structured remote schedule, with live class sessions in the morning and independent work in the afternoon. “Assignments will be posted by 8:30 a.m.,” Vogt said, “and attendance will be taken, just like a normal school day.”

Although the district is operating remotely, the building’s gym remains open and fully functional, as it is served by a separate heating system. “All evening activities, including sports and extracurriculars, will proceed as planned,” Vogt confirmed. Additionally, the district opened the building on Sunday evening for students to pick up any necessary materials, such as Chromebooks for remote learning.

While some families have expressed a preference for traditional snow days, Vogt emphasized that remote learning offers a flexible and safe option. “This situation demonstrates how remote learning can help keep students on track, even when something unexpected, like heating failure, disrupts regular school operations,” she said.

As the district continues to work with technicians to resolve the issue, Vogt expressed appreciation for the patience and support of the community. “We’re grateful for our families’ understanding during this time,” she said. “We know this situation is far from ideal, but we are committed to providing the best possible education for our students while we work to get the heating system fixed.”

The district will provide further updates as more information becomes available and repairs are completed.