The only elementary school in Tolland might need to be rebuilt after cracks were found in the foundation.
The issue has plagued several homeowners in Hartford, Tolland and Windham counties and now cracks have been found in the foundation of Birch Grove Primary School, which the school's website said was established in 1999.
“This is really the first public building that I know of that has come to light in terms of a significant problem,” Steve Werbner, Tolland’s town manager, said.
He said local officials did a visual inspection of all the public buildings and inspectors noticed spider cracking at the school about a year ago.
Further foundation core testing and records confirmed the school had pyrrhotite, the naturally occurring mineral, that experts say has caused the concrete to crumble and created trouble for many Connecticut homeowners.
Because the school is made of brick, Werbner said, it will be difficult to lift the foundation, which means the school will most likely have to be demolished and rebuilt. The town has put $40 million away for the project.
“To replace a school that’s as young as this school would certainly have an impact on our long-range debt plan and is something hopefully that can be mitigated in cost over time,” Werbner said.
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Werbner hopes a school reimbursement program through the state of Connecticut could help cover the cost.
Engineers said the school is structurally sound for the next five years.
“Hopefully it will be an easy fix. We’ll see,” said Deb Vengruskas, whose grandson goes to the school.
