TAMPA, Fla. -- Crews are protecting the historic walls of Lee Magnet Elementary in Tampa from a potential hurricane.
- School caught fire last September during Hurricane Irma
- Work crews hope project is complete by end of August
- Some parents concerned the work was done last-minute
For weeks, workers have been adding support beams to keep the bricks in place if there is a storm.
Lee Elementary caught fire last September because of Hurricane Irma.
Parents believe the work should have been done earlier -- before the start of another hurricane season.
"To do the job at the last minute, it seems like it was a little rushed," said Lee Elementary PTA President Jomil Frick.
District leaders have said the entire process takes time. They want to make sure the work is complete by the end of August, the height of the season.
Meanwhile, administrators are still in talks with the insurance company on the potential costs to rebuild the school.
"We're a long way from where we started, but we're getting closer hopefully to what it will cost to build," said Deputy Superintendent of Operations Chris Farkas.
Farkas said the latest financial challenge has been agreeing on the increased costs of bringing a 100-year-old building up to code.
"We can't rebuild a replica that's exactly the same," Farkas said.
The district estimates the cost to rebuild the school to be between $14 and $17 million.
Lee Elementary parents have said they want to raise money to offset the costs that insurance wont cover.
But some parents believe the district could already have money to rebuild the school if the wall support work had been completed earlier.
