A portion of the roof at Jefferson County High School collapsed on Sunday, July 7, 2013, demolishing classrooms and exterior walls. First Responders were on the scene, as well as school personnel, to contain the situation. Initial concerns centered around a potential gas leak and that risk was immediately addressed. Though the building was thought to be empty at the time of the collapse, cadaver dogs were sent in to assure that there were no casualties and none were found. The collapse of the roof is being attributed to the intense rain that has pounded the area and the lack of slope to allow run off. Though the extent of the damage has not, yet, been assessed there are plans to get a first look at the damage Monday morning, according to Director of Business Affairs for Jefferson County Schools Michael Phagan. He stated that the collapse should be covered by insurance and that the schools have a good working relationship with their insurance carrier. At this time there is no indication of additional funds that will be necessary to repair the building. Roofing Building 8 was a part of the renovation plan that is in progress at Jefferson County High School, and some interior renovations had been presented to the School Board. No exterior changes for Building 8 were considered in the renovation plans, however adjustments will need to be made due to the impact of the collapse. Both Phagan and Randy Rogers, Assistant Principal and Athletic Director at Jefferson County High School, expressed their relief that the collapse did not occur when students or staff were in the building. Phagan stated that having construction crews on site should help expedite the repairs and that roofing for the entire building will be assessed by the construction manager and a team of architects, structural steel specialists and demolition experts, to insure safety. The partial collapse of Building 8 will most likely impact the timetable for renovation, pushing Building 8 into the forefront, and the viability of the renovation schedule will be addressed as soon as the extent of damage is known.