Marshall leaks fixed – for now; Ceiling, not roof, repaired, problems could return

LYNN – A series of leaks that caused the closing of two Marshall Middle School classrooms in the days before the Christmas vacation have been repaired, but without funding from the state to permanently fix the roof, the problems could return with another snow storm.After falling just short of the record for the snowiest December on record in the Greater Lynn area, water, slush and ice created a host of problems in and around city-owned buildings leading up to the holidays.At Marshall, high snow accumulation combined with fluctuating temperatures created a dangerous situation on the roof of the school, as piles of snow trapped melted water, forcing the moisture through seams in the rubberized roof into classrooms below.To make matters worse, colder temperatures created a sheet of ice across the roof so maintenance workers could not safely shovel the snow away from the affected areas.”It kind of created the ‘Perfect Storm’ combo,” said Principal Richard Cowdell. “There was enough snow to trap some of the melted water underneath, and it leaked in through the skylights and backed up the roof drains.”As a result, Cowdell was forced to displace students from the two classrooms for the last two days before vacation, while maintenance workers waited for the weather to melt enough of the ice to safely navigate the school’s roof.Workers began the repairs over Christmas break, clearing the snow away from the skylights, seams and drains, and repairing the ceilings of the classrooms from the inside of the school.While students were able to return to their normal routine, Cowdell says maintenance workers told him the problem might return if there is another heavy snowfall this winter.”It isn’t so much that they fixed the roof, they fixed the ceilings in the classrooms. I actually had a chance to walk up there, and it is a rubberized roof with a lot of seams,” said Cowdell. “It is a difficult repair, and they are not optimistic that they have fixed the problem. Eventually we will need a whole new roof.”Since the repairs have taken place, the weather has brought on days of heavy rain and slush, which have not caused the same leaks in those areas. Maintenance crews believe it is the large, heavy snow accumulations that will force water through the seams, and heavy rain should not pose problems.”The important thing is that they told me it was not a safety issue, it is more of an inconvenience,” said Cowdell.The School Department is in the process of securing funds to repair the Marshall Building, including the roof, but hit a snag in November when the Massachusetts School Building Authority put the city’s repair proposal on hold until further review in 2008.The district has identified the aging building as its top priority as far as repairs are concerned, but has not received a funding timetable from the state.