School remains closed after part of ceiling collapsed

The district had to test for asbestos before repairs could begin.
By JEANNE STARMACK
VINDICATOR STAFF WRITER
AUSTINTOWN -- Austintown Middle School will remain closed today while district officials decide how to go about repairing a partially collapsed ceiling in a top-floor science room, said Superintendent Doug Heuer.
Repairs will include strengthening the ceilings in about 20 rooms on the building's top floor, Heuer said.
The school was closed Tuesday after the collapse sent a 15-foot-long light fixture crashing down onto a desk.
Most pupils were in the middle of changing classes, and there were only two people in the room -- a pupil and a teacher, school officials reported. Neither was injured.
Officials closed the school to allow engineers and architects a chance to inspect the damage to find the cause and to determine if there's any more risk in the 90-year-old building.
Asbestos precautions
Heuer said that before repairs can begin, the district had to test for asbestos.
He said samples were sent for testing, and the district expects results today. He said that if asbestos is not found, pupils could be back to school Thursday.
He said that if it is found and is easily airborne, the district will have to take steps to seal off the work area. He said asbestos that isn't easily airborne, or friable, would only present a problem for workers who are handling it.
Heuer said that if there is asbestos, the repair work will go on after hours, when pupils aren't in the building.
He said that other areas of the top floor are safe to use, and there are areas in the building the school can convert to classrooms if necessary. He said it's also possible to schedule classes in rooms not being used while teachers are in planning periods.
Heuer said architects and engineers identified the reasons for the collapse.
What caused collapse
He said that the wooden joists under the plaster were very dry. Plaster on wire mesh was nailed to the wood with straight nails, rather than with twisted nails used in construction today, he said. Dry wood doesn't hold nails well, he said, and straight nails pull out easier.
Heuer also said that added weight of heavy light fixtures contributed to the problem.
Heuer said that in the 20 rooms identified as possibly unsafe, workers will nail metal studs into the joists. He said they'll be capable of holding four times more than the weight of the ceiling.
The district is planning to get by with the old building for one more school year. A new middle school being built on Raccoon Road is to open in fall 2007.