The start of school will be delayed at Buchanan Middle School due to damage caused from a recent break-in.

Buchanan Community Schools Supt. Andrea van der Laan said in a press release Friday that the first projected day of school for middle school students is Sept. 14. School was originally scheduled to begin Sept. 8.

School officials met with construction managers Thursday to discuss the situation after a large amount of copper piping and valves was stolen from the middle school sometime during the weekend of Aug. 15.

Van der Laan said based on field inspections, meetings, observations and work progress this week, it has been determined that the theft and damage to the Middle School has affected critical mechanical, plumbing, and electrical systems. The school district has cancelled its fire and building code inspections that were to occur on Aug. 27. Inspections have been rescheduled for Sept. 3.

“Due to the fact that a week of construction was lost, we are no longer comfortable saying that school will open on Sept. 8. The projected first day of school is now Sept. 14,” van der Laan said in the press release.

Parents of middle school students are being asked to note that middle school orientation has been rescheduled for Sept. 10 at the middle school gym.

If school officials decide to use an alternative site for orientation on Sept. 10, they will move it to the high school and let parents know through the school’s instant alert system and Facebook.

The middle school is at the tail end of a $13 million construction/renovation project paid for by a $14.9 million bond issue passed by voters in May 2013. The work was scheduled to be finished, more or less, before the start of the school year Sept. 8.