Crews were working feverously to dry out Toll Gate High School Tuesday and restore it to a condition where it could reopen Monday for classes.

“We’re assessing it daily,” Assistant Superintend William McCaffrey said. He said distance learning is scheduled through this Friday and a reopening depends on conditions by Monday.

In school classes were hastily canceled this Monday when custodians arriving at 6 a.m. discovered that one of the heater ventilator units had frozen during the weekend. When it thawed, it sent steam throughout an estimated 20,000 to 25,000 square feet of the upper level of the school. Now the issue is to ensure the space is properly ventilated before it is tested and reopened.

The closure did not affect the separate Warwick Area Career and Tech Center or classes held at Drum Rock, the former elementary school on the campus . McCaffrey said the district sought Rhode Island Department of Education approval Monday to go to distance learning.  He praised the quick response and hard work of school maintenance under the direction of Kevin Oliver in dealing with the situation. Contractors have been retained to dry out the building.

The closure does not affect the Warwick Area Career and Tech Center open house planned March 7 from 6 to 7:45 p.m.