Oxford High School is closed for the fourth day as engineers continue their quest to determine why cracks started forming on the walls in a gym and the floor in a science room.
The cracks were first discovered last Thursday.
At Tuesday’s school board meeting, new Superintendent Edward Malvey reviewed the situation.
School officials are waiting for a report from the engineers, who are going through the guts of the building with a fine-tooth comb.
Since they’re still waiting for a final report, officials hesitated Tuesday from saying anything conclusive.
Click the video to see Malvey’s remarks, including a question and answer session between he and school board chairwoman Rose McKinnon. The chairwoman’s questions start five minutes into the video.
The cracks, apparently formed from the heavy snow load on the school’s flat roof, are similar to fractures that form over time as a building settles, Malvey said.
The difference here — Oxford High School is just five years old.
In addition to structural engineers, Oxford schools have brought in a team from O&G Industries to figure out exactly what’s happening within the building. O&G built the school.
School board chairwoman Rose McKinnon interrupted Malvey’s update on the situation Tuesday, saying the engineers are still investigating.
“I prefer not to go into a lot of detail right now,” she said before asking Malvey a number of questions.
“Just because we haven’t gotten the final paperwork, they’re still investigating,” McKinnon said.
“That’s correct,” Malvey said.
“And that’s why we’re taking such a long time,” she said.
“That’s correct,” Malvey said.
In response to a question asked by McKinnon, Malvey said the engineers are also examining the building’s concrete and steel frames.
Again responding to a McKinnon question, Malvey said the hope is that the engineers will complete their work Wednesday — but there are no guarantees.
“Right now, I don’t see it as long term, but that could change,” Malvey said. “Each column, each beam is an entity onto itself.”
Students at the high school have missed a dozen school days thanks to this hellish winter.
And now they lost February vacation — school officials took it away Tuesday due to the unusually high number of weather-related closings.
School officials also revised the school year by eliminating a staff development day and adding a few days to the end of the year. They also shortened the school year from 182 days to 180 days.
Now school will end June 23 for the high school, June 21 for the other schools in the district.
A few students spoke to the school board Tuesday night, saying they want to get back into the high school as soon as possible.
“I sound like a complete nerd saying this, but I’ve run out of homework. I don’t know what to do anymore,” junior Jared Schulman told the Valley Indy.
“I actually picked up my psych book and tried to read ahead,” Oxford senior Kathleen Mifflin said. “I feel like with our exams coming up for our AP classes in May, I’m getting concerned. That’s why we came to the meeting tonight.”
— Reporter Eugene Driscoll contributed to this report.
Rose has the AUDACITY to interrupt the new Superintendent when he is the ONLY one in months to give the parents vital information. Why does she insist on being the only one in the “know”. Dr. Malvey seems quite aware that parents and the community deserve to be respected.
Lynn Marie I believe you are on record in a Jan. 4th post on VIS writing , among other, caustic things, that the new Supt. hired was “a puppet” for Rose McKinnon. Now he is the “only one in the know”. Are you sure your name isn’t Sybil?
Please tell me there aren’t two Lynn Maries!!!!!!, or that you are OUTRAGED BY HER AUDACITY!
You follow my words chapter and verse,thank you. It actually proves my earlier statement, Rachel, that Rose likes total control, as in controlling Dr. Malvey (any everyone else), hence the puppet analogy. It remains to be seen if he allows her to do that. I hope he does not, but he only has to put up with her until November.
LynnMarie/Sybil: The only point you prove is that your posts are nothing more than vitriol for Rose McKinnon and the BOE. Don’t flatter yourself by thinking I quote your mean-spirited rants for any other reason than to expose your convoluted tirades. I suggest you find a healthy outlet for your rage. Perhaps you and MADR can start a support group, practice yoga, breathe deeply, gain forgiveness for those you malign, or at least move out of town.
This is the problem with Rachael, you never respond to the point, just attack. The point is Dr. Malvey was answering the communities questions in an intelligent and thoughtful manner when Rose, for reasons only she understands, stopped him, why? Was the release of information so sensitive we as taxpayer couldn’t handle or understand it. But I am sure instead of answering the question you will insult me as well, really don’t care.