The summer session at Edgerly Education Center ended abruptly last week after it was determined that disruptions caused by renovation work were creating problems for students and school staff. — Photos by Claudia Ferro

By Jim Clark

Last week, parents of students attending the summer session at the Edgerly Education Center were notified that classes would end three days early due to disruptions caused by construction crews working in and around the building.

The school has been undergoing renovations in preparation of accepting students from Winter Hill Community Innovation School in the fall. That school was closed earlier this year after its structural integrity came into question when a section of concrete fell onto a stairwell while the building was unoccupied, requiring the temporary closure of the Winter Hill school building.

The building has remained closed while under assessment through the summer, with school year 2023-2024 classes intended to be held at alternate locations, including Edgerly.

Somerville Public Schools issued the following:

“After careful consideration, we made the decision to end summer programming early at the Edgerly Building due to the increasing disruption caused by the construction work currently underway there and to address concerns from our summer program staff and parents. The remaining days of the session, Friday, August 4, through Wednesday, August 9, are canceled. This construction work is being done to prepare the building for Winter Hill students for the start of the school year.

In the decision to move Winter Hill students to Edgerly, we knew that roofing, masonry, and window caulking needed to be improved to keep the building watertight. There is non-friable asbestos in the window caulking at Edgerly. Non-friable asbestos, a type of asbestos that is generally not considered a health risk because it does not easily release fibers, is not uncommon in older buildings and is not considered a safety risk unless improperly disturbed.

As part of the work to recaulk the windows, work was performed on the exterior of the building by a licensed asbestos abatement contractor to remove this caulking. All work was conducted according to state Department of Environmental Protection regulations and safety protocols. As part of the work, Somerville also brought in a construction site hygienist to oversee the work and monitor air quality on the inside and outside of the building to ensure work was safely conducted.

Additionally, the Somerville Building Inspector inspected the site on Thursday, August, 3, as asbestos removal was underway to ensure adherence to protocols, and found, “The contractor had all appropriate safety measures in place, there was no evidence of unsafe practices occurring. There were no observed defects in the containment installation at the time of inspection.”

We understand that the required signage, protective gear for crews, and containment structures used while conducting this work can be unsettling, and we should have informed staff and families in advance of the safety protocols in place. But we do wish to reassure our staff and families that at no time was there a risk of exposure to occupants of the building. School officials have since met with program staff and families today to address their concerns and assure them that the building was and remains safe to occupy.

Due to the discomfort of staff and families as well as noise and other disruptions from the construction, however, we have decided to close for the remaining three days of the summer session. We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause our families, and we will be updating affected families about alternate services. We do hope this closure will give our staff and families peace of mind. It will also allow our work to advance more rapidly so that we can welcome our Winter Hill students, teachers, and administration back to a school they can feel safe in and continue to learn in this fall.”

In a related matter, the assessment of the viability of reopening the Winter Hill Community Innovation School in the fall was completed and it was determined that the school would remain closed indefinitely due to the discovery of asbestos in the building.

The city issued the following statement on Monday:

“In June, the City initiated an additional building assessment of the Winter Hill Community Innovation School (WHCIS). Today, our consultant informed the City, who immediately informed Somerville Public Schools, of the unexpected presence of asbestos in material not typically found to contain asbestos. The City closed the building, which has not been currently holding classes, and it will remain closed to all until further notice as we work to investigate the findings and remediate the material. We will continue to keep our staff, families, and community updated. For more information on the WHCIS building renovation and replacement efforts, visit www.somervillema.gov/WHCIS.”

Meanwhile, the early closure at Edgerly is said to benefit the efforts of construction crews to finish their work sooner without concerns of putting the health and safety of students and school staff at risk.