The roof above the Shaker Writing Center is leaking once again.
Last year, the leak, which is visible in the northwest corner of the SWC home, Room 228, disrupted the program. “We had to move our writing center sections to four different classrooms,” said English teacher Cathy Lawlor, SWC director.
The writing center, which Lawlor founded in 2016, operates as an enrichment junior and senior English course. SWC interns are trained in tutoring methods before assisting other students in one-on-one and small group conferences.
Lawlor said that she thought the problem had been fixed last year. “Custodians did patching on the roof. Then about five weeks ago, it started dripping again,” Lawlor said.
A trash can collects the drops of brown liquid. Custodians empty and replace it as necessary.
Senior Heath Thompson, a writing center intern, said that the issue isn’t being properly addressed. “I don’t think it’s being handled well. It’s not being treated as seriously as it absolutely should be,” he said. “We’re supposed to be a welcoming environment, but you can’t have that when you have a big ol’ dripping hole of mold in your ceiling.”
Evidence of the leak is now visible in the hallway, where the brown liquid has stained the ceiling and wall above Room 230.
Lawlor said she doesn’t know whether the leak will be fixed. “As of now, no plans on fixing the leak have been communicated to me,” she said.
In 2017, voters approved a $30 million bond called the “Safe, Warm and Dry” tax issue for Shaker Schools facilities improvement, maintenance, repair and renovation. Funds were to be used from 2018-2020 to address the district’s building maintenance needs.
In November 2023, Shaker voters approved Issue 13, a 6.45-mill bond issue to raise $121,190,000 for construction and improvement of K-8 facilities; a 0.5-mill, state-mandated permanent improvement levy for maintenance of buildings; and a 3-mill operating levy to help pay for an expanded pre-K program.
According to history teacher Jessica O’Brien, the high school’s head SHTA representative, the Board of Education has approved funding to fix “the entire roof of that section.”
David Boyer, director of facilities and grounds, did not return a call requesting comment before publication.
Said Lawlor, “Fixing the roof and finally resolving the problem would help us go back to the healthy, welcoming and warm environment we’re used to bringing.”
Olivia Cavallo and Liam MacGilvray contributed reporting.
