Dellwood Primary students and staff will return to school today following repairs to several problems which forced it to close on Wednesday.

The school, which has been under renovation for the past few months to become a middle school in September, has experienced electrical and plumbing problems.

But parents on Wednesday said they had had enough when toilets would not flush, rain water soaked the assembly hall, and the fire alarm rang for almost an hour after it was accidentally triggered by construction workers.

Emerging from a meeting with school officials yesterday, Education Minister Jerome Dill explained that a water line to the flushing system had broken during excavation.

"No one knew where it was because it is an old building. It was built in the '40s,'' he said, adding that there were no old site plans.

Mr. Dill also noted that the principal said classes could have continued, if it had not been for the rain which soaked a partition to separate the worksite and flooded the assembly hall.

However he pointed out that the gymnasium roof, which was damaged during excavation, and the partitions had been completely repaired and sealed against water.

Mr. Dill said water line had also been completely repaired and the flushing system tested by the contractor and principal.

A contractor will use an instrument to detect any other metal pipes before work continued, he added. A similar instrument will be used to detect the presence of electrical lines.

"We are actually going to put on an extra janitor to keep the school clean because of the extra dust produced by work on the site,'' Mr. Dill noted.