Insurance company won't cover much of Whitehall Junior-Senior High School water damage

Oct. 2--WHITEHALL -- Whitehall school officials received news on Thursday afternoon that its insurance company was denying much of its claim for the significant damage to the junior-senior high school building from the August storms.

Superintendent Patrick Dee said New York Schools Insurance Reciprocal informed the district that it has determined that the property damage is the result of flooding and not the backup of the sewer and drain systems in and around the building, as the district and its engineers had determined.

"We vigorously disagree with this assertion and will continue to discuss this with NYSIR," Dee said in an email on Thursday evening.

The school was significantly damaged on Aug. 24 after strong storms dumped as much as 6 inches of water on the village. Dee said previously that there was not a space in the school that did not have standing water, ranging from a few inches to a few feet.

Mold is growing inside many areas of the buildings and walls will have to be cut up and insulation removed. The gym floor has buckled in about 25 places.

Dee said NYSIR and the district are waiting for reports from separate engineering firms to identify the scope of the work and cost of the repairs. Those reports should be completed by early next week.

The company has offered to work with the district's representatives to determine a percentage of the property damage that came from water coming through the roof and walls that it would be willing to cover, according to Dee.

Also, Dee said NYSIR is advancing the district $1 million to help move forward with mitigation of damage in the building and is also considering the district's requests to allow portable classrooms and offices.

"While this is not the preliminary decision that the district was hoping for or expecting, it is a step forward as NYSIR has now shown a willingness to work with the district," he said. "As these continued discussions unfold, the district and its representatives will continue to strongly advocate for all of the coverage that our professional engineers, architects and adjuster believe the district should be provided."

The junior-senior high school has been continuing with classes exclusively online.

Reach Michael Goot at 518-742-3320 or [email protected] and follow his blog poststar.com/blogs/michael_goot/.

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