BROKEN ARROW, Okla. — On Tuesday, The Broken Arrow Public Schools Board of Education held a special meeting to vote on a resolution due to recent storm damage.
The damage is to the Freshman Academy campus, which occurred June 18.
The board and superintendent discussed the resolution to declare an emergency under the Public Competitive Bidding Act, which passed unanimously.
With many buildings around the district, leaders believe the damage to the Freshman Academy was a silver lining.
“This is really a blessing," Roger Shepherd, Executive Director of Operations, said. "If you can look at it this way. I am going to say 99 percent of the problem was at the Freshman Academy. And everywhere else just got a few surface scratches, really. It was very minor.”
The damage includes the press box at the school's field, as the storm destroyed it.
Luckily, district leaders said, fencing stopped the debris from going onto the track.
The district is urging residents to avoid the track, as glass and other debris could be around.
According to Shepherd, the district could order a pre-built press box, which could cost more than $100,000, depending on what district leaders want to include.
While the field saw a high amount of damage, the immediate concern, district leaders said, is the school's gym.
The roof saw significant damage, exposing the floor to potential additional water damage.
To fix the roofing section would cost more than $80,000, according to Shepherd.
Damage to the gym floor is also costly. The district hopes to dry it out and repair it, costing between $40-$60,000. If a complete replacement is needed, it costs nearly $200,000.
The board noted the floor was installed in the late 1970s and will know the full extent of the damage by the end of the week.
Shepherd anticipates the gym will need to be closed at a conservative date of one month. The district has had to reschedule many sporting events due to the damage.
In addition to roof damage, the district must replace two of the four A/C units, totaling $35,000 - $40,000.
The entire amount to replace or fix the damage to the gym and field is roughly $500,000 - $600,000.
According to Natalie Eneff, chief financial officer for Broken Arrow Public Schools, the emergency resolution is due to insurance premiums.
The cost of paying the premium would far outweigh the price of fixing the damage.
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