'A big mess:' Storms with relentless rain cause flooding, classes canceled at Mayville school



DODGE COUNTY — A Dodge County principal had to cancel class on Wednesday, Oct. 2 after roughly two feet of water rushed into St. John's Lutheran School in Mayville. This, after thunderstorms with heavy rain swept through parts of Wisconsin starting Tuesday.

"I knew it was gonna happen," said Mike Baerwald, trustee chairman for St. John's Lutheran School. "It just couldn't hold it back."

"I got a call from the Dodge County sheriff saying that the street over here was flooded," said Kay Koenitzer, principal.

St. John's Lutheran School in Mayville



St. John's Lutheran School in Mayville



When two feet of floodwater rushed into St. John's Lutheran School Wednesday morning, Principal Koenitzer knew what to do and who to call.

Mike Baerwald



"It came in under the doors," said Koenitzer. "Our gym is doing the worst because we have three gym doors it was coming under, and now, it's gotten underneath the floor, so we've got bubbles in there."

Staff members, parents, and even students sandbagged the doors and sucked up the water -- a strategy that worked once before.

"We are doing the best we can," said Baerwald. "It's not our first rodeo."

St. John's Lutheran School in Mayville



St. John's Lutheran School in Mayville



After heavy rain invaded the Mayville school back in 2016, the city's storm drain was renovated, and concrete barriers were installed at the school.

Neither could stop this October breach.

"We have a big mess," said Koenitzer. "We had a sewer backup, so we were waiting to get a hold of a ServiceMaster or somebody to come in and disinfect before we bring the kids back."

St. John's Lutheran School in Mayville



Principal Koenitzer was hopeful her students would be back in class by week's end.