HOULTON, Maine — Renovations to a number of facilities in RSU 29 may soon be needed to keep the district running smoothly.
The RSU 29 board is considering several costly projects, including a new roof at Houlton Elementary School, at an estimated cost of $55,500, and replacement of curbing and walkways in front of Houlton Middle-High School, at a cost of $50,000.
“Some things are maintenance issues, and some of the things are major, capital expenditures to be considered for the budget process,” RSU 29 Superintendent Mike Hammer said.
A 100-foot by 50-foot section of the roof at HES has delaminated, according to Joe Schneider, transportation and maintenance director for the district. He said the board could consider either replacing half the rubber membrane section (at a cost of $26,900) or do the entire roof (at $55,500).
Replacing the entire roof was the preferred choice, Schneider said, as it would prevent any potential leaks from seaming a new section to an existing one. If the board goes forward with that plan, the work would be done during the summer break.
The roof at Houlton Southside School, which had a persistent leak for the last 10 years, was repaired in-house during the February vacation. Schneider noted that an ice jam on the eaves of the roof was likely the cause of the leak. The jam was likely caused by large temperature variations between the roof deck and mechanical room.
Curbing and sidewalks in front of Houlton Middle-High School have been discussed for at least the past year, but have been cut from the budget to save costs.
Other areas of concern listed as priority repairs in Schneider’s report include:
• Replacing windows in the music room and administrative office at HES ($8,000).
• Replace leaking internal combustion tubes on an oil-fired boiler at Houlton Middle-High School ($2,100).
Some of the other items mentioned for consideration include: refinishing or sanding the high school gym floor ($7,000-$33,000); and adding playground equipment for third-graders at Houlton Southside School ($40,000).
The board will further discuss the renovation projects at the next regular board meeting May 4.