Students Return To Central Middle School After Earthquake

GREENWICH, CT — Central Middle School has been deemed safe following a post-earthquake inspection, and the school is operating normally and on time Monday, according to the school district.

Gap Mountain Consulting Engineers conducted the inspection on April 6 with the Greenwich Public Schools Facilities Department, approved by the Department of Public Works, Building Inspection Division, CMS.

"There has been no new structural damage due to Friday’s earthquake, the new cracks (or widening of existing cracks) that were noticed do not impact the integrity of the building, and because the engineer had conducted inspections of CMS in the past and knows the building very well, we are extremely confident in his findings and the continued safety of the building for our students and staff," the school district said Sunday night.

A magnitude 4.8 earthquake was detected with an epicenter identified seven kilometers north northeast of Whitehouse Station in New Jersey at 10:23 a.m. on April 5, according to the USGS, which monitors earthquakes.

In an email to families last Friday, Greenwich Public Schools Superintendent Dr. Toni Jones said all students and staff were moved out of CMS after the earthquake and relocated to Greenwich High School. She noted the Greenwich Fire Marshal posted the middle school closed Friday and has "given the idea that we believe there are new cracks in new locations" at the school.

According to the inspeciton report, the structure "was not observably impacted" by the earthquake.

"The building appears to remain in serviceable condition and is suitable for continued use as a K-12 school," said B. Cory Attra, an engineer from Gap Mountain, in an inspection report.

Attra suggesed minor maintenance and repairs to cracking that was observed. The school district said those repairs will be completed this summer once the engineer proposes further action steps.

CMS was built in 1958, and was closed for a brief period in 2022 after an inspection found structural concerns.

Since then, plans have been developed to build a new school.

A copy of the full inspection report can be found here.