Date: Fri 06-Dec-1996

Publication: Bee

Author: DOTTIE

Quick Words:

schools-St-Rose-roof-leak

Full Text:

Leaky Roof Causes Two-Day Closure At St Rose School

B Y D OROTHY E VANS

Two "snow days" before Thanksgiving when nary a flake had fallen?

Seems unlikely, but that's what happened at St Rose School when a partially

completed roofing project began leaking rain water into the main building last

week, causing principal Donna DeLuca to cancel school for all of Tuesday and

Wednesday, November 26-27.

"I came in at 6:45 am [Tuesday] and caught it. The water was dripping down out

of the light fixtures. Luckily, I was able to catch [transportation director]

Mary Kelly by 7 am, and she managed to stop the buses in time," Mrs DeLuca

said.

"The decision to close school was really more of a safety precaution than

anything else," she added.

Installation of the new school roof is about three-quarters completed, Mrs

DeLuca said.

The project was begun over the school's front entrance area, where the roof

slopes downward toward the rear of the building.

But the last portion of the roofing project, still underway, is being carried

out on a flat surface. There apparently was not adequate drainage there for

the water that accumulated during the torrential rainstorm that happened

during the day and night of Monday, November 25.

"We think the insulation was already wet, and that the area in question

couldn't absorb any more water," Mrs DeLuca said.

By Monday, December 2, after the four-day Thanksgiving break was over and the

leaky spots had been sealed, the school was dry despite more rain that fell

all day Sunday and early Monday morning.

So, Monday, the children were back in their classrooms as usual.

The roofing project is expected to be completed within three weeks, weather

permitting, Mrs DeLuca said. She explained that the flat section of the new

roof would slope slightly toward the center with a drainage well designed to

remove water.

This wasn't the first time an over-abundance of water has affected normal

school life, Mrs DeLuca said.

Earlier this fall, a nor'easter blew through the area [October 19] and caused

flooding in the school's computer room. Then the staff had to "move everything

out until it was cleaned up," Mrs DeLuca said.

Adopting a resigned stance on her recent difficulties with water, she added,

"I'm not even a Pisces, and I don't swim that well!"