Updated July 21, 7:40 a.m.: The Oklahoma City Public School Board voted without discussion during its board meeting to temporarily cover up the century-old chalkboards at Emerson Alternative School so renovations at the site can continue.
The drawings from 1917 were discovered last month, and school officials want to find a way to preserve them. The cover-up approved Tuesday night is expected to cost about $26,000.
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When construction workers tore down walls at a school in Oklahoma City earlier this summer, they found 100 year old chalkboards with drawings and lessons still printed on them. Weeks later, the school is still trying to figure out exactly what to do with these artifacts, but for now, they'll work around them.
The discovery of the century old chalkboards has delayed renovations at Emerson Alternative school for a couple weeks now. But Monday the Oklahoma City Public School Board will consider spending about $26,000 to cover them up so that construction can continue.
Public information officer Mark Myers said the cover up would be a temporary one-and will prevent the boards from being smudged or damaged while construction crews install other things like tack boards and marker boards. He said the district is afraid to take them down and move them because they might break.
The Oklahoma Historical Society has recommended making them a permanent fixture in the school.
