Rainwater finds its way into $70 million Montgomery High School
By: Kara Fitzpatrick
MONTGOMERY It’s raining buckets or rather, raining into buckets at the new Montgomery High School.
A considerable number of leaks in the roof of the brand-new school, which opened in September, were reported following heavy rains last month, district officials confirmed.
According to Board of Education Vice President Andrea Bradley, about 50 small leaks were discovered in the building. The water was captured and contained in buckets, Ms. Bradley said.
In the media center, some ceiling tiles collapsed as a result of the leaking, Ms. Bradley said.
A 15-year warranty for the roof is held under the manufacturer, Versico Inc., district Public Information Officer Anna Murphy said.
Representatives from the manufacturer began repairing the leaks last week, Ms. Bradley said. "They came out right away," she said.
Ms. Murphy said the leaks did not affect instruction and were first discovered Oct. 12, the day school was closed as a result of township-wide flooding.
Ms. Murphy said the leaks were spread throughout the building and that one area was not necessarily more affected than another.
Although the roof is covered under a warranty, the district could incur costs as a result of cleanup by custodians, Ms. Murphy said. She said staff time totaled about 80 hours to tend to the leaking water and replace ceiling tiles.
Ms. Bradley said district officials are being vigilant about the prospects of mold. She said the carpets have been treated with a mold-inhibiting agent. At the end of the spring, Ms. Bradley said, it might be advisable to conduct an infrared scan of the building to identify the source of any mold.
The 400,000-square-foot school, which was built with a price tag of $70 million $56 million of which will be raised through local taxes has been in operation for just two months.

