Milton Elementary School will be reopening on the first day of school in September, Superintendent Ray Castellani reported when he met with parents of Milton students on Monday evening.

Superintendent Castellani and Principal Patricia Walsh called the meeting to update parents on repairs at the Milton School and the process of investigating what happened and who is to blame for the collapse of part of the library media center ceiling. Castellani assured parents that the district was aggressively pursuing the investigation to find out who was responsible for the faulty ceilings at Milton Elementary.

In a recap of the incident, Castellani said that on the evening of May 26, part of the ceiling collapsed in the library media center. Thankfully, the incident occurred in the evening when no students were in the school. It was reported by a custodian who heard the crash. The next day students were bused to Middle Hope Elementary School and then moved the next week to Marlboro Elementary School where they finished the school year.

After a thorough investigation by the board, the district architect, district insurance company, legal counsel, and an outside construction forensics expert, it was determined that the ceiling had likely collapsed because of faulty construction during the renovation of the school in 2005. Evidently, the old plaster ceilings that date from when the school was first built in 1936 should have been removed. Instead, the new drop ceilings were attached to the old plaster ceilings. As additional wiring was added to the ceiling, the weight of the drop ceiling increased, which finally pulled down the plaster ceiling.

After the decision was made by the board to repair the media center ceiling and remove all remaining plaster ceilings in the school during the summer months, Castellani informed the state that the district had an emergency. Funds were reserved from the district fund balance and bids called for last Thursday. A bid for $190,000 was awarded to DiLorenzo in Highland.

Scheduled construction calls for Phase 1, including all classrooms, to be complete by Aug. 18. Phase 3, including the corridors, will be completed by the last week in August. Castellani reported that the damage in the media center will be covered by insurance.

In addition to the ceilings in the Milton school, Castellani said a survey was taken of all ceilings in the district. As a result, some old plaster ceilings in the middle school are also being replaced.

“The state requires a Buildings Condition Survey be taken every five years,” Castellani said. The district is due for a new survey this year, and Castellani assured parents that it would be very detailed.

By TERI JONES