Concerns over snow and ice piles on school buildings caused two districts to cancel classes Friday.
In Oxford, school custodians spotted cracks in the walls of the five-year-old high school at about 8 p.m. Thursday.
Some cracks are as much as half an inch wide, said Oxford Fire Department Chief Scott Pelletier. He said it is not certain whether they formed as a result of the heavy snow
and ice storms, or are a natural result of the building settling.
There does not appear to be a danger of collapse, he said. Click the video to watch an interview with the fire chief at the scene.
School officials decided to close schools district-wide as a precautionary measure, the chief said.
All school buildings in the district will be examined Friday.
In Shelton, Superintendent Freeman Burr decided to cancel classes so that workers could continue clearing piles of snow and ice from school buildings. Booth Hill and Elizabeth Shelton were of particular concern to officials, Burr said in a letter posted on the school district’s website.
“I made the decision to close schools so that work could continue today that would lessen the loads on our roofs and improve the situation. Therefore, I could not in good conscience bring students to school while this work was underway and compromise or potentially risk student safety,” Burr wrote. “Although we believe our roofs are structurally sound, I am very concerned with the number of roof collapses in the state and cannot put our students and staff at risk.”
In Derby, firefighters equipped with snow blowers and shovels cleared away snow and ice on top of all school buildings. A structural engineer was on hand and gave the buildings a clean bill of health, according to Superintendent Stephen Tracy.
As of 1:05 a.m. Friday, Derby schools were expected to be open at the start of the school day.
However, the school did not manage to clear snow and ice from above the gym at Bradley School, Tracy said. Students will not be allowed in the gym Friday.
That precaution worried parents at Derby’s school board meeting Thursday.
Parent Janine Netto worried that a roof collapse in the gym could damage nearby parts of the school, such as an attached hallway.
Tracy said the engineer said such an event was unlikely.
In Ansonia, the district also brought in a structural engineer to test the stability of the roofs.
“They made snow load calculations to make sure we were safe to open tomorrow,” said Robert Evans, the district’s facilities manager. “Pretty much, the average was 23 to 24 pounds per square foot” before snow removal.
Evans said a crew of about 25 people worked throughout the day Thursday to take snow off the roofs. They began work on Wednesday, and expect to complete the job during the day on Friday.
“That’s my goal — to get all the snow off the roofs,” Evans said. “Anything you take off is going to bring down the snow loads. We want to make sure it’s as safe as possible for the students and the staff.”
Ansonia expected to open at a regular time Friday morning.
Goodbye, Vacation
Now school leaders in the towns are talking about whether to cancel regularly-scheduled vacations to make up for the snow days.
“I have also received numerous e‑mails regarding canceling February vacation and holding school so our students can get back on track,” Shelton Superintendent Freeman Burr wrote in a note to parents. “I, too, believe this is a good idea and am giving it my full consideration.”
In Ansonia, Superintendent Carol Merlone said she wants to ask the Board of Education to hold school during February and April vacation days. The board is trying to schedule a meeting for Monday evening.
“I polled the staff and administrators and the majority of people wanted to use February vacation,” Ansonia Superintendent Carol Merlone said Thursday. “Presently, we have nine days (to make up). That would take away four days.”
Merlone said shortening April vacation could make up for another two snow days.
“We’ve sent out another e‑mail to staff to see what their feelings on April vacation was,” Merlone said. “We don’t have the results yet.”
Merlone and Burr said the districts will be accommodating to parents who have vacations planned already.
“We must be certain that any of our students who will be away with their families have the opportunity to complete and make up assignments,” Burr said.
In Derby, the school superintendent suggested taking away some April vacation days instead of the upcoming February break.
The superintendent was concerned that the district would have to scramble to find substitute teachers to cover for regular teachers who have vacations planned for February.
School board member Christine Robinson wasn’t sympathetic. She said teachers who have vacations planned should have to prove it by giving administrators copies of their plane tickets. If substitutes are needed, the teachers should pay for them, Robinson said.
“They work 184 days. I don’t see how they can tell us they have to go on vacation,” Robinson said.
So far this year Derby has had nine snow days, two late starts and one early dismissal. The school board didn’t make a decision on the matter and will revisit it later this month.
In Seymour, Superintendent MaryAnne Mascolo sent a letter to parents saying it doesn’t look like the district will take away any April vacation days to make up for classes lost to this hellish winter.
