Emily Brittain Elementary School’s roof “won’t last the winter,” the Butler School Board learned from a consultant at its Monday evening meeting.

Mark Follen, director of operations for the Nutrition Group, spoke to the board about an upcoming analysis of the district’s list of planned capital improvements and potential additions to the list.

The group has divisions which handle nutrition services and facility management, and it will now be handling capital improvements planning and project management for the district in addition to food services.

Follen’s team will be examining all of the district’s buildings for its report, he said, but they have one that will need addressing more urgently: water problems at Emily Brittain.

“There is a significant amount of water coming in on the lower level of that building,” Follen said. “It’s literally pouring in from the foundation wall.”

Follen said there is a malfunctioning sump pump, some broken pipes and a bad roof to blame. It’s near an addition that was made to the building, he said.

“That roof is in deplorable condition,” Follen said.

The board plans to discuss a fix for the project, and how to allow for it within an already-allocated $9.7 million budget for such improvements and maintenance projects, in upcoming meetings.

Superintendent Brian White summarized the board’s financial situation in regards to building repairs.

“The state of a lot of our buildings would be cause for replacement in many other districts with different financial situations,” White said.

Classroom size

White also revealed data for elementary school classroom sizes throughout the district.

The district is trying to keep kindergarten classes at a maximum of 20 students. Of the district’s 22 kindergarten sections, 10 are slightly above that cap with 21 students.

White said the answer might lie more in redrawing where zoning maps for different schools are drawn, rather than hiring more teachers.

The board plans to hold public input sessions in October to ask parents in the district their thoughts on both zoning maps and the school year calendar.

White has four proposed new calendars, each with adjusted start, end and holiday times. He also has maps for each school showing where in the district students are living.