Stonington - Board of Finance Chairman John O'Brien said Wednesday that he expects that he and his colleagues will approve $569,000 in emergency funding to fix leaky roofs at Deans Mill School when the board meets next week.

The board was slated to meet Wednesday night to consider the request, but that meeting was canceled because of the storm. Next week's meeting is slated for 7 p.m. Wednesday at the police station.

O'Brien said the town's $11 million undesignated fund balance exists to deal with emergency situations."And this is an emergency," he said, adding that the roof money would be taken from the account. "I can guarantee we'll approve it."

He said some board members have toured the school and seen the water leaking into the school. "Stonington is better than this," he said about the problems and the need to fix them.

Roof sections over the cafeteria, gym, library, office and a classroom would be replaced.

Last week, Deans Mill parents urged the school board to appropriate money in the proposed 2014-15 budget to fix the leaky roof sections, which are several years past their projected life expectancy.

But the school board decided to ask the finance board to appropriate money from the town's undesignated fund balance so work can begin immediately.

If the roof money was included in the proposed budget, funding would not be available until July 1.

- Joe Wojtas