Water Damage Forces Dare Elementary Students Out of Classrooms

By Amber Lester Kennedy Wednesday, September 14, 2011

Dare Elementary School suffered water damage when Hurricane Irene hit the school, which was undergoing renovations. Photo by York County Schools.

The school was already behind on an extensive renovation before the storm hit, extending the delay. On Aug. 17, students were assigned temporary classroom locations, with K-3 students taking classes in the gym and EXTEND Center, and fourth and fifth grade students attending school at Bethel Manor Elementary, which was under capacity due to renovations of military housing. Pre-school classes are being held at Seaford Elementary.

When Hurricane Irene hit York County on Aug. 27, parts of the elementary school had not yet been sealed by the contractor. As a result, wind blew water into the building, damaging insulation and sheetrock. Rain storms caused additional damage during the first week of school.

The division asked Marine Chemist, an environmental testing and inspection laboratory, to compile a remediation report to determine what steps must be taken to address the water damage, said Chief Operations Officer Carl James in a letter to parents dated Sept. 13.

On Tuesday morning, Marine Chemist turned in a report advising the contractor must first ensure the building is properly sealed, and then remove and replace “identified mold contaminated and/or wet components.” The report identified 45 areas where materials must be removed and replaced, noting additional contamination and wet components may be identified.

James said the school division has provided the remediation report to the project architect, who gave a copy to the contractor. They have requested a timeline for the completion of the remediation project and the original renovations.

“I know this is not the best news, but please know that we are doing everything in our power to ensure that the education your child is receiving at Dare Elementary School and Bethel Manor Elementary School is not negatively impacted by the project delays,” James said, going on to commend the school’s teachers and administration for creatively adapting to the challenge.

The division shared the Marine Chemist report here, and has an information page for updates here.