Thoreau School’s ‘fire wing’ stays closed as classes begin

The fire-damaged wing of Thoreau Elementary School remained closed when students returned on August 31.

Schools Superintendent Laurie Hunter told the School Committee on August 26 that the project has fallen behind schedule after the district determined it had to replace the fire suppression system before construction could begin.

“Unfortunately, the fire wing is not back on track,” Hunter told the School Committee.

The district now hopes to reopen the section sometime in October, though Hunter said that could be pushed to November.

To accommodate students, the district worked with its insurer to bring two modular classrooms to the back of the school. One will house a second grade class; the other will provide flex space.

“Every other inch is used in this school,” Hunter said.

The April 27 fire started in an attic above classrooms in the school’s 1994 wing. 

Fire Chief Brian Whitney previously told The Acton Bridge that a supplemental heating unit used to keep sprinkler pipes from freezing probably started the fire. Investigators ruled out other potential causes.

The response caused significant water damage to the classrooms below, even though the sprinkler system contained the flames. The district expected four classrooms to require repairs down to the studs, along with additional work in four others.

The latest incident followed a 2021 fire involving a similar heating system. Hunter said the 2021 fire led to months of repairs. In 2023, insufficient heat allowed pipes to freeze and burst in frigid weather.

Capital plan shifts 

The district now plans to replace the existing fire protection system with a dry system. The change will eliminate the need for heaters in the attic above the classrooms, Hunter told The Bridge in an email.

Insurance will cover the repairs and replacement of lost or damaged materials, so the project will not significantly increase the district’s operating budget, Hunter said. The modular classrooms will add a minor electricity cost.

The project will, however, affect the capital plan. The district had planned to pave Thoreau’s parking lot, but officials have deferred that project and will use the funds for the new fire protection system.

Hunter said the district expects to finalize the system’s design in the coming week. That is expected to give officials a clearer estimate of the project’s cost.

“We’re going to have to reevaluate some capital things that we thought we were going to use money for,” she told the School Committee.

Construction continues on the second phase of the school’s playground project, including a new nature space. That work began in early August and will probably continue into October.

For now, Hunter said, Thoreau’s teachers face the challenge of starting another school year with classrooms displaced and construction ongoing.

“I can’t say enough about the teachers and their resilience,” Hunter said. “That was hard information to share with them this summer.”

Despite the disruption, Hunter said teachers will continue to focus on their students.

“They’re going to do everything they always do, which is do the best for the kids and make it work,” she said.