UPDATE: Oxford Center School Damages in Excess of $100K

Updated at 6:30 p.m.

A tree fell on a classroom building at Oxford Center School over the weekend and will cost more than $100,000 to repair, interim Superintendent James Connelly told Oxford Patch Monday evening.

He said "building No. 6" needs a new roof because the old one was punctured by a large branch, plus wiring and insulation in the building needs to be replaced.

"We are waiting on proposals from the roofer, but they said it was going to be in excess of $100,000," he said. "That's a lot more than we thought it was."

A tree limb fell over the weekend on "campus buildings" in back of the main portion of the school over the weekend. Nobody was in the building when the tree fell and nobody was injured. 

The earliest work will be finished is in 10 days Connelly said Tuesday, but he said it could take two-and-a-half weeks. He said he and board Chairwoman Rose McKinnon will meet to discuss declaring a state of emergency, which would allow the school board to waive the bidding process and expedite the repair process. He also said school Business Manager Rosemary Hanson is in the process of contacting the state Department of Education and the school system's insurance carrier to see if they can get money for the repairs, which will be easier, Connelly said, now that President Obama has declared a disaster situation in Connecticut. 

The school situation sure looked like an emergency on Monday. 

The campus building, one of eight at the school, had water pouring through the roof Monday morning as Connelly and other school officials assessed the damage. Meanwhile, workers from a local tree service company cut the tree and limbs from trees around the buildings that looked like they might be in danger of falling.

Oxford Center School Principal Heath Hendershot said the damaged classrooms held two fifth-grade classes totaling about 50 pupils who will be moved to another campus building once school is back in session.

Connelly cancelled school for Tuesday and Wednesday as CL&P and local officials try to clean up from the damage. Part of the reason is because Quaker Farms School is being used as an emergency shelter for residents. Connelly said his decision has nothing to do with what occurred at Oxford Center School, which is for pupils in grades 3-to-5.

Connelly said all parents have been notifed of the situation via the CodeED school emergency notification system.