PITTSFIELD, Mass. — A sewer backup forced the closure of Taconic High School on Tuesday afternoon and canceled all afternoon activities and classes on Wednesday. 

 

According to a message sent to the school community by Principal Matthew Bishop, plumbers working at the school removed a drain cap at about 1:50 p.m., which allowed sewage to spill into the Career Technical Education hallway. 

 

Students were taken to the gym and auditorium, and then released from the building at about 2:25 p.m., a few minutes earlier than normal. The girls basketball team did meet at the school to take the bus to the game at Putnam Vocational in Springfield. 

 

Bishop had messaged that crews were being coordinated to clean the building and reopen it on Wednesday but by early evening that was found to not be possible. 

 

Classes were canceled Wednesday, he wrote, "to allow for the sewer drain issue in the building to be fully resolved. 

 

The school community will be updated if there are any changes.