When it rains, it pours at Libby Elementary School

While administrators have come a long way in renovating Libby Elementary School’s roofing system, they still have a few leaks to plug.

During a storm last month, staff brought out buckets to catch water dripping from the ceiling of one of the school's wings. Kendra Benner, a fifth-grade teacher, counted at least eight buckets in the hallways of yellow pod on Jan.13.

“We’ve got an obstacle course,” said Benner motioning to the pails.

Since Benner joined the district 20 years ago, leaky roofs have been a persistent problem for the school. In addition to cluttering the hallways with buckets, the roofing issue has caused some property damage.

Leaks have drenched books, computers and desks. Posters hanging beneath dripping water have been ruined. Benner said water soaked an antique desk that belonged to her great-grandmother. When staff members aren’t able to position buckets quickly enough, water can seep into carpets allowing mold and mildew to fester.

The primary cause of the leakage stems from the elementary school’s design. Principal Andrew Stiger* said the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers constructed the building with flat roofs.

To remedy the problem, the district has taken on a series of costly renovations. Stiger said replacing the roof above yellow pod alone will cost around $250,000. The expensive price tag is due in part to cleanup costs for a layer of insulating asbestos. Stiger said the school relied upon a district-wide grant last year to help replace the roof above green pod.

In addition to the repairs in green pod, maintenance crews have also replaced roofs above blue and brown pods. Stiger said the district now only has to repair the roof above yellow pod.

However, replacing roofs on the old building will only go so far. Previous plans to build a new elementary school have seen pushback from the community, according to Benner.

“The community is just really resistant to it because we don’t need it,” she said. “But we need something.”

Stiger recognized that constructing a new school could strain the local community. With each tax cycle, Stiger said it becomes harder to raise mill levies.

“Any small tax increase, people can’t afford it,” he said.

*The spelling of Stiger's name has been corrected