Leaking roof, heating issues at Fitchburg middle school

Students, parents and staff are concerned about the condition of a Fitchburg middle school they say is in disrepair.

The roof of Longsjo Middle School is leaking, forcing teachers to put buckets in their classrooms, and a problem with the heating system cleared out a few classrooms Tuesday and cancelled after-school activities Wednesday, Fitchburg Superintendent of Schools Andre Ravenelle told Boston 25 News Thursday.

A staff member who asked to remain anonymous told Boston 25 News water is leaking into several rooms on the fourth floor. She also said a heating issue has caused extreme cold and heat at varying times.

Heather Chouinard’s 12-year-old daughter, Anastasya Ellis, said teachers last year instructed students to wear layers to class or bring blankets to keep warm.

“How can you focus on what the teacher’s telling you if you’re shivering, because you’re so cold or because there’s a bucket behind your desk dripping?” Chouinard said. “I want to know that this building my daughter is going to for eight hours a day is safe enough for her to be in.”

An email that was posted on social media sent from one unnamed staff member to others shows concern about safety.

“My room, as some of you know, has been off limits since last week,” the email reads. “The kids and I could barely breathe due to the moisture/humidity, and the smells of damp and mold had me leaving feeling pretty unsettled about the safety of the room. With the crumbling plaster and walls, (not sure where asbestos might be), it does cross my mind as to what long-term affects (sic) an unhealthy building could have.”

A video also posted on Facebook shows water leaking from a ceiling in a classroom and several buckets on the floor collecting the water.

Ravenelle, who walked through the middle school Thursday to assess the issues, told Boston 25 News a steam leak in the heating system involving two old valves that were starting to rot caused water to pool on the floor, dripping to the ceiling below. After-school activities were cancelled so repairs could be made and asbestos found around a pipe could be remediated, Ravenelle said. He learned Wednesday night the problems had been fixed by 7 p.m., and school would not be interrupted Thursday, Ravenelle said.

“I just don’t want my kid to be sick and unhealthy when he’s trying to learn,” said Tracey, the mother of a seventh-grade boy. “Kids shouldn’t have to worry about that stuff when they go to school.”

The building, which was state-of-the-art 80 years ago, is now old, Ravenelle said, and the slate roof needs to be replaced, but it’s a “massive” job, not an easy fix and one that needs to be done at the right time.

Ravenelle said the school committee addressed the roof Monday night. One million dollars has been appropriated to start the process of repairs, he said. In the meantime, they have set aside $15,000 to do a study on the work required, he added.

Because the roof work cannot be done over the winter and school cannot be interrupted, the roof would likely be replaced at the beginning of next summer, he said.

But some parents say waiting out the school year is not acceptable.

“Next summer? It’s not going to last through the winter, if there’s one big snow storm. It’s not going to last,” Tracey said. “Clean it up, redo it, try to remodel it, or bring the kids somewhere else.”

City Councilor-At-Large-Elect Sam Squailia told Boston 25 News she believes city funding should be prioritized for Longsjo Middle School at a time when a multi-million-dollar City Hall renovation is in the works.

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