Principal: School's Roof Is OK...

Principal: School's Roof Is OK
custodian's foot, not snow, caused ceiling debris to fall
Eryn Dion
News Staff Writer

‘A custodian lost his footing in the attic and his boot went through the ceiling tile. It caused a pretty big mess.’

— John Graziano

TEMPLETON  Just one unfortunate misstep sparked concern that Templeton Center Elementary School’s roof was buckling under the weight of snow from a series of winter storms.

Principal Dr. John Graziano, however, says the incident was merely a case of broken ceiling tiles.

“A custodian lost his footing in the attic and his boot went through the ceiling tile,” Dr. Graziano explained. “It caused a pretty big mess.”

Several parents reported that children were being kept out of the second-floor hallway, prompting speculation about the status of the roof and raising concerns about the age of the building and the heavy snowfall from recent storms.

Templeton Center and Baldwinville Elementary schools are both more than 90 years old, and a series of consecutive storms have dumped several feet of snow on the area in the last month alone.

“I get it because it’s New England and snow is snow,”
Dr. Graziano commented.

“It’s an old roof.”

To further allay worries from parents, the principal said he sent a note home with students detailing the accident, and posted to the school’s Facebook page.

He said no one was in the hallway when the tile fell and that students remained in their classrooms while cleanup was underway to prevent further disturbance to the school day.

“They were right where they needed to be,” he said.

While some school districts around the state, such as Somerville, will remain closed through the week due to the threat of roof collapse, Dr. Graziano said the district is monitoring the structural integrity of its buildings throughout the winter.

“We’re on top of it checking it daily,” Dr. Graziano said.