Northwest School District to Pay $500K to Fix Flash Flooding Damage
Date Posted: July 30, 2024
Posted In: Projects,
From Leader Publications: Northwest R-1 School District officials and staff members are scrambling to repair flash flooding damage before school starts next month.
The Northwest Board of Education approved a transfer of $500,000 from the district’s operational funds to the district’s capital improvements funds to pay for the repairs and renovations not covered by the district’s insurance carrier.
Some of the funds transferred for capital improvements will be used to mitigate future flooding problems, the district reported.
“Due to the timing of the storms and the large square footage of the damaged areas, the district is in an emergency state of repair for buildings that must be ready by the time school starts Aug. 19,” Superintendent Jennifer Hecktor told the school board on July 18 during a 20-minute presentation that included photos of the damage.
Mark Janiesch, the district’s chief operating officer, said Northwest officials don’t know exactly how much the repairs and renovations will cost yet.
“We know that current restorations will be in excess of $1 million, not including the $500,000 transfer,” he said.
The flash flooding occurred on July 8 from heavy rainfall in a short period due to Hurricane Beryl and again on July 16, causing extensive damage to Valley Middle School in House Springs, the nearby Northwest Administrative Center, a warehouse and a bus garage.
“We are working on more than 40,000 square feet,” Hecktor said. “This includes front classrooms in buildings one and two, the Encore hallway, ancillary gymnasium, middle school office and the administrative center first floor. Additional work will be done on the bus garage.
“The classrooms facing Gravois Road were affected from water that came in through the doors and quickly spread. Water came in through ground-level windows in the principal’s office. The end-of-school floor waxing was underway, so fortunately things were off the floor and out of the way.