Flooding at Billerica Memorial High School investigated as vandalism

The first three floors of Billerica Memorial High School were flooded Saturday morning and officials are investigating it as an act of vandalism, according to police and school officials.

The flooding was confined to the academic wing of the 325,000 square foot building that opened in 2019 at a cost of $176 million, officials said.

The building is the “gem of the community,” Billerica Police Chief Roy Frost said in a phone interview. “We’re going to prosecute whoever was responsible to the best of our abilities.”

The investigation is continuing.

In a statement, Billerica School Superintendent Timothy Piwowar described the incident as “a malicious act of vandalism,” and school personnel took “immediate steps” to address it once it was discovered.

Despite the damage, school will be open on Monday. A cheerleading competition scheduled at the school for Sunday will also go on as planned, according to the superintendent’s statement.