Power outage sends Franklin Regional secondary students home

Franklin Regional School District sent senior high students home Thursday morning after the secondary campus experienced a power outage just before 7 a.m.

According to information posted on the district website, the district planned to dismiss senior high students to return home at 9:30 a.m.

District spokeswoman Tina Gillen said that process went smoothly. At the middle school, she said, “With the exception of one bus, the students never arrived at school.”

With the power outage, Gillen noted, there was no internet access at the secondary schools. With district officials unsure when power would be restored and how widespread the outage was in the community, the affected students were instructed to work at home as best they could.

All secondary students were asked to check their Schoology accounts for lesson assignments.

The outage didn’t affect the district’s elementary schools, which were operating normally.

The district indicated the outage was caused by a vehicle crash.

According to a Westmoreland County 911 dispatcher, one injury was reported when a vehicle crashed into a West Penn Power pole shortly before 7 a.m. Thursday along Tarr Hollow Road, which is located just west of the senior high. Murrysville police and fire units had cleared the scene by 9 a.m.

West Penn Power spokesman Todd Meyers said the crash snapped the guy wire and an anchor that supports the pole, cutting service to about 600 customers in the Murrysville area. Repairs were made and service was restored by about 10 a.m., he said.

Additional details about the wreck weren’t immediately available.