The Dale Board of Education Tuesday declared an emergency related to expenditures incurred by the winter storm of 2021.
Members also approved hiring of contractors as needed for repairs and restorations of facilities.
Their actions came during an emergency meeting of the board, after last week’s major winter storm damaged areas of the new high school and new gymnasium.
Acting School Supt. Ky Wilkins explained to the board members, prior to their voting, those actions “would allow us to move forward without having to take bids. It will take care of anything down the line,” he added.
He advised board members that “Plumbers are in the gym now. We still have no water in the new gym,” he said.
Wilkins emphasized to the board, “We are under a Fire Suppression Watch. There is no fire suppression in the new high school nor in the new gym.”
Wilkins said during an interview last Saturday that “the fire suppression line froze and broke in the new gym last Tuesday during the snowstorm and frigid temperatures. We caught it about 4:30 p.m that day.”
On Thursday, the fire suppression line in the new high school office broke. He said, “95 percent of the damage is in the high school office.” That was caught around 9:30 a.m. that morning, he said.
Following Tuesday’s emergency meeting, Wilkins said the damage in the gym is in the lobby and concession area and the family restroom.
“The playing surface of the gym floor wasn’t damaged,” he stated.
In the high school, the office and lobby area were damaged and the floor will have to be replaced, he said.
Later, Wilkins said to this point, adjusters haven’t provided him an estimated cost of the damage. But he informed board members new leaks had been discovered over the weekend and since.
He told the board out of pocket expenses for the damage and repairs will be $2,500 and that is all.
In response to a board member’s question, Wilkins said he has no timeline on when everything can be repaired.
Dale High School’s basketball teams were scheduled to host a district game against Haskell Tuesday night and that was moved to Okmulgee High School, the superintendent advised board members.
Also, they were to host their own Regional. That was moved to Tulsa McLain High School starting tonight (Thursday) and runs through Saturday, he informed them.
Wilkins noted, “It is what it is,” adding, “It could be worse.”