Update: Sat., Feb. 21, 8:20 p.m.— Church and school officials— with assistance from the city of Boston— have devised a plan to resume classes for St. John Paul II Catholic Academy's Columbia campus in the wake of a devastating flood that left large portions of the school's facilities in serious disrepair. The plan calls for grades K-0 through 1 to use classroom space within the Columbia Rd. annex building, which was not damaged when a pipe-burst in the adjacent building— an older structure that once housed the old St. Margaret's Grammar School.
Students in grades 2-8 will be relocated to space within Our Lady of Czestochowa's parish at 655 Dorchester Ave. in South Boston, just over the bridge from Dorchester within the Polish Triangle. The parish school— known as St. Mary's— closed in 2009 and is not used during the weekdays. It is, however, maintained for Polish language classes and other parish activities and in good condition.
"This is a good option and we just have to expedite moving some things into the buildings," said Rev. Jack Ahern, pastor of Blessed Mother Teresa parish, who has been engaged in assisting the Academy in managing the crisis since the incident last Tuesday.