Superintendent: Middle school gym closed after roof leaks; past air tests found no hazardous contaminants

Triton Regional School Committee Chair Linda Locoski opened an unplanned update at the committee’s Feb. 26 meeting about water intrusion in the Triton Middle School gym and wall where melting snow has produced major leaks.

Superintendent Brian (identified in the meeting as the district superintendent) told the committee the problem “blossomed” in the prior 24–48 hours but is an ongoing, long-running maintenance issue: “this is not a new discussion. This is unfortunately something we've been dealing with, for many years.” He said the district has repeatedly tested indoor air in the affected spaces and engaged outside specialists.

Why it matters: staff described visible water saturation and staining along the gym wall and center-court pooling. District leaders closed the gym to prevent students from slipping and to avoid exposing people to water-saturated surfaces; classes have been split between gym spaces and the high school gym while the district addresses the hazard.

What the district told the committee: Brian said the district has conducted rounds of environmental testing, including a 2022 assessment and follow-up work with a Massachusetts Department of Public Health expert, Mike Feeney. He summarized the test results to the committee by saying the tests produced “negative for any concerning contaminants, concerning mold levels, any mold.” He described how professional testing can identify small counts in isolated rooms but noted outside air counts are often higher than indoor samples, which the district interprets as evidence the building ventilation systems are functioning.

Scope and costs: the superintendent said the visible staining is caused by water from a saturated flat roof and that short-term fixes (cleaning and spot repair) have been temporary. He said a full roof solution for the campus was previously estimated at about $11.5 million and that repairing the specific leaking section could cost “easily a million plus.” He urged the public that no recent testing has shown health‑threatening contaminants and that social‑media rumors alleging otherwise were unfounded.

District action and next steps: the district has been: (1) monitoring and testing indoor air quality as needed; (2) sealing off the gym area for safety (taped, not sealed) and relocating classes; and (3) pursuing longer‑term roof replacement planning. Brian said short-term measures (cleaning/painting) repeatedly need rework after warm rains and that the district will continue testing and monitoring and explore specific targeted repairs where feasible.

Selected direct quote: “The middle school gym wall…is ugly. It looks bad. It looks like oil…It's not. It's basically the water saturated roof,” Brian said, emphasizing the district’s testing history and safety checks.

What the committee asked: members pressed for clarification on why the gym is closed and on public communications. Brian said the closure is for safety because of standing water and slip risk and encouraged parents and staff to contact district offices directly rather than relying on social media for technical updates.

Where this goes next: the superintendent said the district will continue targeted testing and monitoring and will include this issue in facilities planning as the committee and administration evaluate longer-term capital needs.

Ending note: the committee treated the update as an unanticipated information item; no formal policy action or capital appropriation was made at the Feb. 26 meeting.