POLSON — Polson High School students aren’t the only ones who need a break. The start of summer vacation will provide a desperately-needed reprieve for the building itself.

For years, students and faculty have been plagued by leaks from the school’s aging roof. The problem has been exacerbated by recent rainstorms, as the sight of strategically placed buckets, towels, and air dryers littered across the floor has become commonplace. The problem is especially pronounced in the library and the surrounding hallways where, at times, water cascaded down the walls and parts of the ceiling bulged ominously.

Enough was enough.

On Thursday, the administration decided to give the student body an abbreviated last-day of classes, citing the escalating risk to student safety posed by the decrepit roofing.

“It was kind of cool to get out early, but it’s pathetic that our school can’t come up with money for a roof,” said 15-year-old student Autumn Ramos.

Replacing the roof has been a high priority for some time, but now the school cannot afford to delay renovations any longer. Unfortunately, due to budget constraints they also cannot afford to replace the entire structure in one fell swoop. Instead, this summer the district will replace only the worst section of the roof, though eventually completing the overhaul remains the long-term goal. However, interim Superintendent Bill Appleton expressed that finishing the project will require “new sources of funding, altogether.”