Browerville, Minn. school gym demolished after roof damage

BROWERVILLE, Minn. (FOX 9) - School officials in Browerville, Minnesota say they were forced to demolish the high school's gym after damage to the roof following the last round of snow.

In a message sent to families, Superintendent Scott Vedbraaten writes the Board of Education held an emergency meeting early Sunday morning to approve the demolition.

The superintendent writes that the roof had partially collapsed and experts determined demolition was the best way to protect the rest of the building.

In a call with FOX 9, the superintendent says the damage was first noticed by a track coach who had come in to leave for a weekend track meet in St. Cloud. When the coach saw the damage to the roof, they called school officials who later brought in engineers to assess the situation.

The superintendent says they worked into the early morning hours of Sunday to determine the best course of action. He returned early Sunday morning for the emergency school board meeting where they decided they had to demolish the building.

Demolition was underway on Sunday and work will continue into the week.

Officials say engineers will continue to assess the rest of the school building, which they say is currently structurally sound. Classrooms near the gym will be closed to allow for a "buffer zone" as construction crews continue cleanup.

At this point, Superintendent Vedbraaten expects students to return to class as normal on Monday, albeit on an "adapted" schedule to make up for the classroom closures.

As for costs, the superintendent says he doesn't yet know the final costs of the demolition work or have an estimate on how much it might cost to replace the building, other than to say it'll cost "a lot." Thus far, the superintendent says his focus has been on the safety of the building and students.