MADISON, Wis. -- The reconstruction begins at Chavez Elementary School.

A new contractor, Bachmann Construction, is on site this week, but the work won't come cheap. The tab is rising rapidly, but top school officials are still ecstatic, News 3 reported.

"Getting married and having children was the happiest moment of my life, but getting the reconstruction started is right up there," said Superintendant Art Rainwater.

They are just hoping that the worst is behind them.

The Bachmann Construction trailer holds the promise of better things to come for over 400 students and staff.

Five months after mold closed the school, the cost of it all is coming into focus.

News 3 has learned the bill for mold testing and remediation stands at over $800,000.

But district officials are confident they will get reimbursed through insurance and legal claims. Meanwhile, money originally borrowed to build Chavez will cover the bill.

"We do have sufficient cash to deal with it, and what's important is it can't be used for anything else, so it's not in competition with our operating budget or any of those kinds of things," Rainwater said.

A district consultant recently outlined possible structural deficiencies with the roof and brickwork, and a separate roofing consultant has been hired.

Officials said they don't know yet what needs fixing, but the head of the school board said district managers are on top of it.

"I have the fullest confidence, because they are under a microscope here and being watched carefully and they know it, and they're going to do a fine job," said Bill Keyes, school board president.

Just to be sure, an independent construction manager has also been hired, who will directly oversee what will hopefully be Chavez' final phase of construction.