Wilmington Wildwood School To Close For Oil Cleanup In 2-3 Weeks

WILMINGTON, MA — Wilmington's Wildwood School will close in several weeks for cleanup of an oil spill, Superintendent Glenn Brand said in a letter to parents Monday.

The school is safe to occupy, Brand said, but cleanup will take six to eight weeks and "will involve a considerable amount of heavy machinery, noise, and disruption."

"After consultation with our local Town Manager, town engineers, the Board of Health, and the Superintendent of Public Buildings, we collectively determined that it is not practical or in the best interests of our staff and students to continue to occupy the school during this clean-up phase," Brand said. "To continue to do so is not best to support teaching and learning for our Wildwood students and staff."

The spill occurred when a fuel tank was overfilled during a recent fuel delivery for the school's heating system. The state Department of Environmental Protection, the town Board of Health and other officials are monitoring the situation. The district has not been advised to close the school, Brand said.

There is no definitive date to vacate the school, Brand said in a follow-up Tuesday morning, but the "goal is to do so within the next two to three weeks."

"It is our plan to keep the school open and fully operating right now and for the next few weeks," Brand said. "I assure you that as soon as we have insight around the locations in which we plan to relocate programs, as well as all additional information that will be important for you to know, you will be notified as far in advance as possible."

Officials are working to find alternative places for students, staff and programs for the remainder of the school year.

"While it will not be possible to relocate all students and staff to only one other school facility, we will strive to keep together as many programs as possible in other locations," Brand said.

Even if the work is completed within two months, students and staff will not move back into the Wildwood School for the remainder of the year, the superintendent said.

"In closing, as a parent myself, I can only imagine what concerns and/or anxiety this news might bring if this were my child who will now be changing school locations midyear," Brand said. "I want to assure you that this matter is of top priority for our entire leadership team and we will do everything possible to develop a plan that will provide for a smooth transition for all while causing the least disruption to the educational experiences of our students."

Christopher Huffaker can be reached at 412-265-8353 or chris.huffaker@patch.com.