A sudden pipe burst at Meadow Hall Elementary School disrupted daily school operations, displacing students and forcing them to work in unfamiliar environments.

The December 2025 pipe burst was not the first time this issue occurred. Plumbing issues at Meadow Hall go as far back as 19 years.

To combat this issue, Meadow Hall testified at a Montgomery County Council meeting on February 9, 2026. PTA President Leandria Campbell, teachers Rachel Hellman and Elizabeth Maloney, and students Kiyan De Silva and Aiden Fraizer all voiced their concerns about the building.

“School is a place where students go to learn and feel comfortable and safe. When our classrooms are damaged, it is hard to focus on learning,” De Silva said at the county council.

In an interview, Campbell further explained, “What concerns me most is that my daughter spends more than six hours a day inside that building, and in its current state, it is not safe and healthy.”

Eliana Burshtyn, a fourth-grade teacher at Meadow Hall, also shared her experience of the recent incident.

“That day, [teaching] just wasn’t an easy thing to do because of the frustration with the situation,” Burshtyn said.

Burshtyn was on her way to work when she found out about the flood from her colleagues. Her frustration with the incident was heightened when she discovered the same issue had occurred four years earlier and that teachers had been warned it would happen again. The displacement from usual learning environments hindered the students’ ability to focus and follow a routine.

“Students that I had never seen in the office before were ending up in the office because they were disregulated, just needing time to talk about things instead of being able to focus on work,” Burshtyn said.

The ongoing building issues at Meadow Hall have raised concerns about equity in Montgomery County. PTA President Leandria Campebell highlighted that Meadow Hall serves a population that is 85% minority, 69% of students qualify for FARMS, 43% are emergent multilingual learners, and has a significant autism program.

“Our students deserve the same safe, high-quality facilities as any other child in Montgomery County. Ensuring that communities like ours are heard in the process is an important part of making sure school infrastructure investments are equitable across the county,” Campbell said.

As capital funding is limited, many schools with aging infrastructures are competing for the same pool of resources. While that contributes to Meadow Hall’s funding difficulties, schools like Meadow Hall can fly under the radar.

“Many of our families are working-class parents who are focused on work, childcare, and daily responsibilities. They may not always have the time, resources, or familiarity with the process to advocate for facility improvements,” Campbell said.

Beyond the immediate description of the flood, staff and parents are worried about the long-term health impacts of the building’s condition. The recurring floods have caused moisture, condensation, and mold issues.

“My daughter is seven years old, and her lungs and immune system are still developing. Long-term exposure to mold can contribute to respiratory issues, allergies, and other health problems for young children. I’m worried that I’m hurting her just by sending her to school,” Campbell said.

Teachers have also reported drinking water appearing brown or yellow, forcing the school to rely on two filtered water stations; even then, there are still concerns.

“There’s plumbing issues across the entire building. We’ve had bathrooms in all parts of the school that have been out for months at a time due to plumbing. Some of the bathrooms make noises, which scares the kids,” Burshtyn said.

The Meadow Hall community wants to move from a reactive to a proactive approach. Following the February 9th testimony at the Montgomery County Council, the PTA, staff, and community plan to continue their efforts by testifying at Board of Education hearings, meeting directly with elected officials to prioritize Meadow Hall in the FY27-32 Capital Improvements Program, and partnering with community organizations like Action in Montgomery and the Montgomery County Education Association.

Community members outside of Meadow Hall can support the school by helping to raise broader visibility to these issues. Continued presence through writing letters to the district and finding ways to contact people who can actually help the school and push for change can be real fixes, not just “band-aids.”

According to Campbell, “the more people who understand what is happening, the more momentum there is for meaningful action.”

As efforts continue, Meadow Hall’s goals remain simple.

“We’re not asking for anything new. We’re just asking for safe and functioning. That’s it.” Burshtyn said.