ELKINS — Randolph County Board of Education members learned Wednesday that Homestead Elementary School, which has been closed after storm damage, may need costly electrical upgrades before it can reopen.

Rich Carr, assistant superintendent of Randolph County Schools, told board members during their regular meeting Wednesday that he does not know what will happen next, as he awaits official word from the West Virginia Fire Marshal’s Office regarding electrical upgrades that are needed at the school. He said he does not know at this point if students will be allowed to return before the necessary work is complete.

“We’re not sure what we have to do,” Carr said, noting student safety is always the top priority at Homestead or any school, and county officials have known for years that costly upgrades would be needed.

“This hasn’t been something that’s just happened in the past five years,” he said.

“This can has been kicked and kicked down the road for years. … The can’s hit the wall. Our kids are very precious, and we can’t put kids in a situation that might not be safe.”

A large section of the gymnasium’s roof was ripped off during the March 1 storm, and debris hit the top of the kitchen and cafeteria as children were beginning lunch.

Debris also struck the fifth-grade classroom’s windows, but luckily no one was injured and nothing other than rainwater came inside the school. Since the school has been temporarily closed because of the damage, students have been attending George Ward Elementary and Tygarts Valley Middle schools.

Carr said Homestead’s roof repairs and interior damage to the kitchen and cafeteria should be covered by insurance, but asbestos abatement and testing will not be. Both of those issues have been moving forward as quickly as possible, he noted, with a pre-bid meeting scheduled this Friday.

Now, Carr said he has received findings and recommendations from the West Virginia Fire Marshal’s Fire Safety Inspection Report, which is based on annual inspections for every school in the county. He reported the good news that four schools had no concerns whatsoever, and nearly all findings at other schools were minor “housekeeping” items, such as a door being propped open that should remain closed or a need for additional fire drills.

However, the two big issues that will require major electrical upgrades are at Homestead Elementary and Beverly Elementary, he said. Beverly requires electrical updates because it currently has two electrical service “drops,” when the fire marshal requires one at the building.

He said the major concern at Homestead involves the inability to completely cut off all power. The electrical system needs to be replaced, specifically the “service” point where it comes into the building. He said there also are some old breaker boxes where there are places showing corrosion or pieces taped together.

“These are nothing new. We have known it’s a problem,” he said.

Initial rough estimates for replacing the electrical service entrance with the help of an electrical engineer could be more than $90,000, he told board members. Plus, additional upgrades likely will be needed throughout the rest of the building.

President Donna Auvil said the board can’t take any action until the fire marshal gives a definitive statement on Homestead and Carr obtains firm estimates about the “bottom line.”

“Through the years, when we got fire safety inspections, I can remember superintendents saying for years that we could fix problems when the funds are available, and the fire marshals over the years would let that go,” Auvil said. “We don’t have a rainy day fund,” and she noted those problems have not been addressed.

Carr said county officials had planned on reopening Homestead by August, but he won’t know if that’s possible for another three or four weeks. He said he wants to meet with principals to go over the facts as they stand now, and to keep everyone informed.

Prior to the storm, Homestead’s school building already was in need of major repairs. It had suffered a severe leaking problem last year, which caused ceiling tiles to fall in the library/pre-school room in January 2016.

The Tygart Valley Homestead Association has kicked off an aggressive fundraising campaign to replace the historic school’s roof, hosting multiple events this spring.

The aging structure also needs new heating and plumbing systems, along with electrical upgrades, with repair estimates coming close to $5 million prior to the March storm damage.

The school was built in 1939 and deeded to the county by the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Of 99 schools that were created as part of President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s New Deal programs, it’s the last one still in operation.

The Board of Education in December rejected a proposal to close the Homestead school for the 2017/18 school year, but the board has accepted a plan to close Valley Head Elementary School.

Declining enrollment and financial constraints over the past several years have made it difficult to fund all the maintenance needs of the county’s aging school buildings, officials have said.

The next regular Randolph County Board of Education meeting is scheduled for 5:30 p.m. May 2 at the school board office in Elkins.