DIXFIELD – Last month’s flooding, which shut down SAD 21’s aged Canton Elementary School and much of the town, caused $15,000 in damages to the structure.

That’s what Superintendent Thomas Ward told directors at Monday night’s board meeting when he updated them on the situation, which escalated from mop-up work to asbestos removal when the ice-laden waters receded.

“We had 22 inches of water in the basement,” Ward said. The basement houses the school’s library, kitchen and cafeteria.

Originally, Ward believed maintenance crews and volunteers could get the school operating again by working through Christmas vacation to effect repairs.

That was before he learned that flooding had raised floor tiles, which contain asbestos.

“We’ve had to remove the tiles in the first floor basement, because as the water dried, it lifted most of the tiles. Then we had to have an abatement crew come in and seal off the basement area,” Ward said Wednesday.

Asbestos removal accounts for $10,000 of the $15,000 damage estimate, but thanks to the district’s flood insurance agency, and the Federal Emergency Management Agency, district taxpayers won’t have to foot the bill.

“We’ve had great cooperation from our insurance company. They came all the way up here from Pennsylvania on Christmas night to inspect the damages,” Ward said.

After looking things over, Ward said insurance officials told him to send them the cleanup and repair bills.

“Between the insurance company and FEMA, all of the expenses should be taken care of,” he added.

Expenses include conducting health and air quality inspections before allowing students and staff back into the building. That’s why he didn’t expect the school to reopen until the middle of next week or beginning of the following week.

Other damages include the loss of a compression motor that keeps pressure on the sprinkler system, minor repairs to the boiler and removal and re-installation of Sheetrock and insulation.

“Chris Hebert, our maintenance director, has been working 24/7 on the issues and he’s done a great job. He’s been handling this right from the beginning to end,” Ward said.

Upon learning of the damage, Ward said Hebert brought in cleanup crews, contacted the insurance company, and worked with FEMA officials and abatement companies to make the school inhabitable again.

In the meantime, Canton elementary students have been bused to Dixfield Elementary School, where K-4 Principal Kathy Richard and her staff “have done a wonderful job” of integrating the displaced Canton students and staff there, Ward said.

He also credited Transportation Director Kenny Robbins for “doing a good job” in rearranging busing to better fit the Canton students.

As for a pending merger with the Peru School, Ward said he’s waiting for Peru to confirm its referendum date before setting a schedule for SAD 21’s public hearings and referendum on the matter. All of which is dependent upon Peru residents approving the merger.

In other business, no action was taken by directors following two closed-door sessions to discuss a Dirigo High School discipline issue and teachers’ union negotiations.

tkarkos@sunjournal.com

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