Half a million dollars.
That's the damage amount Richmond County school officials reported to their insurance provider Friday about a July 31 storm. Schools facilities director Benton Starks said that makes the storm the most costly to the system in the past two years.
The exact figure submitted was $503,000, "and we're still working on getting some totals in" from overtime worked by other school department workers, Starks said Friday.
Much of the cost was from flood damage to the floors of an old and new gym at Butler High School, both of which officials hope to replace. There also was some other flood damage to a music room at Butler and there was some lightning damage to electronic panels at other county schools.
Officials say it's still unclear why the July 31 downpour caused such flooding at Butler, although a clogged drain is suspected.
Starks said the last time a storm caused such destruction to the school system was in March 2008, when high winds blew roofs off some portables and caused $600,000 in damage.
Starks has said Butler basketball games, which start in a couple months, will be played in the old gym first while the new gym floor is replaced. When work is finished on the new gym, home games will switch to it while the floor of the old gym is replaced.
Starks said the latest damage estimate, although still in flux, was sent to the school system's insurance company Friday to move along the claims process so the system can get an official letter approving work to be done. The school system will have to pay a $100,000 deductible.
Starks said it could be late September or early October before replacement work gets started on the gym floors, but that process could be expedited if the school board gives emergency approval to do so.
Amazing that after 28 days "we're still working on getting some totals in" from overtime worked by other school department workers, Starks said friday". Don't they have an automated payroll system, and an IT department? I would think that they could have querried their data base and had the information within minutes.
No not RCSS...still running on that old man mentality...a lot of those folks at the Board office need replacing... Dr. Roberson glad you are here!!!!
I think they should get started and have the floor finished before basketball season starts. These kids went all year last year without a gym of their own, and now this. Hopefully the school board will give approval for the work to start earlier so it can be finished before the season starts. THESE KIDS DESERVE IT.
The insurance company shouldn't have to pay anything. One county department messes up and the drains don't work properly. County schools are damaged. That sounds like negligence. Has the Utility Dept. assured us the flooding won't happen again? Install more drains if necessary.
I would like to know the name of the insurance company that still provides flood insurance. I do not believe the school is in a 100 year flood plain and qualifies for federal flood insurance. Who is responsible for the construction of the gym and drainage system?
OIC, good point. Is water damage even covered under the insurance policy?
Preston Sparks wrote:
Officials say it's still unclear why the July 31 downpour caused such flooding at Butler, although a clogged drain is suspected.
Doesn't make sense to repair the floors when you have not determined the root cause of the damage. They could have the same thing happen again in the future, since they don't know what caused this damage.
"I would like to know the name of the insurance company that still provides flood insurance. I do not believe the school is in a 100 year flood plain and qualifies for federal flood insurance."
This post made me laugh. OIC, you don't have to be in a flood plain to have a flood inside a building. And the Federal flood insurance program is for homeowners, not schools.
Schools have special insurance that homeowners don't.
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