Schools' central cafeteria closes for gas line repairs

A few local schools saw a temporary change to their menus last week.

On Aug. 22, Deming Public’s Schools Central Cafeteria, located on W. Birch Street, began repairs to natural gas lines. The facility is responsible for providing meals for My Little School, Bell Elementary, Chaparral Elementary, and Memorial Elementary.

As repairs proceeded, the cafeteria was unable to provide hot meals for the students, which led to a week-long menu of “cold meals,” defined by the district as “cold food, such as raw fruits and vegetables, dairy products and precooked meat that is not intended to be eaten hot.” The menu included meals such as: hot dogs, burgers, chicken nuggets and sandwiches.

The district said portable warming units were used to transport meals to the schools and served using commercial steam tables. Contingency plans were in place to prepare and organize the meals in case the repair-and-inspection process were delayed, the district said.

According to Jessica Etcheverry, DPS’ public information officer, the cafeteria had been experiencing multiple gas leaks since spring. There had been reports of gassy smells last semester and in July, she confirmed, but previously no leaks had been identified. Despite multiple investigations by DPS facilities staff and the city’s utilities staff, they weren’t able to confirm the leaks until early August.

DPS believes that due to the age of the gas lines servicing the facility, the lines began to leak gas at some connections.

Since the named schools do not have cafeterias of their own, DPS used portable warming units to transport meals from Central Cafeteria to the schools. Onsite commercial steam tables are utilized to hold and serve food, according to Etcheverry.

Repair work began on August 22nd and on Monday, Etcheverry said the work was “ongoing.”

“Hot meal service has been restored from other school sites,” she informed the Headlight. “The district will continue to make improvements on the facility. Meal distribution using other schools will continue until further notice to allow for improvements.”

Etcheverry said city workers conducted an inspection of the lines of Aug. 10 with specialized equipment that indicated gas leaks were present, at which point gas service was disconnected. A plumber proceeded with work the following day, she continued, with whom leaks and weaknesses in gas lines were confirmed.

The district said it opted to replace all gas lines at the facility through emergency procurement authorization, “out of an abundance of caution and safety for staff and community.”

Asked whether any cafeteria workers were sickened by the gas leaks, Etcheverry wrote in an email, “The district is collaborating with any staff and their physician to address any illness or symptoms they may have experienced or are currently experiencing.”

Annya Loya can be reached at [email protected].