OXFORD – After leaking for at least a year, the Oxford Middle School gymnasium will finally get a new roof. The work, however, will not begin until spring.
The district’s board of education met in special session last night to accept a bid for a full tear-off and replacement of the roof submitted by J & B Installations, Inc. of Skaneateles Falls. The contractor’s bid of $112,500 exceeds the amount approved by voters in May, but was nearly $4,000 lower than the next lowest bid.
Board member Gene Rood was absent from the meeting at the time of the vote, but expressed his support of the board’s decision upon his arrival.
Although bids for the full tear-off were opened more than a month ago, the school board held off awarding the contract while sending out a request for proposal for a partial tear-off.
Since none of the original bids received were for fall or winter construction, Superintendent Randy Squier had assured the school board that sending out for the additional bids would not delay the project further.
Squier said he was not impressed by bids received in the second round.
“None would guarantee beyond a five-year warrantee,” he told the board. Bids for the full tear-off included a 20-year manufacturer’s warrantee. The school board had been looking for something in the 10 to 15 year range for the partial.
“It would be my recommendation to go back to the full tear-off,” said Squier.
After some discussion, the board voted unanimously to reject the partial tear-off bids. They did still have questions about the roof work, particularly about the project timeline and the district’s financial position as related to the expense of the project.
According to J & B’s bid, work would begin on or about April 10, barring inclement weather. Several board members expressed concerns about the work being undertaken while school is in session.
“Smell is going to be an issue,” said board member Mary Branham. Squier said that he will consult with the contractor to see how long the work would take and if it could coincide with the district’s spring break.
“Financially, what does this mean for us?” asked board president Robin DeBrita.
Squier explained the $100,000 approved by voters would be taken out of the district’s capital reserves. The additional $12,500 would be paid out of the general fund.
DeBrita questioned whether or not the money was in the general account to cover the overage.
“It’s there,” said Harold Covey, the district’s business manager. “With decreasing costs of fuels and so forth, it shouldn’t be a problem.”
When there was some confusion about state aid reimbursement for the project, board member John Godfrey stepped in to clarify.
“We’re just writing a check for it and waiting for the state to pay us back,” said Godfrey.
According to Squier, the district will be reimbursed for the project by the New York State Department of Education based on their current aid ratio of roughly 98 percent. That amount will not be received next year, however. Because the contract amount exceeds $100,000, the reimbursement will be distributed over a 10-15 year period, the superintendent explained.
Squier gave an update on the current status of the roof at the last school board meeting, held Nov. 10. He reported that sealant had been applied as a temporary measure to prevent additional leaks through the hairline cracks in the roof in the hopes that this will sustain the roof through the winter months.
The district continues to discuss options for a proposed capital project, which could change usage of the historic Middle School building. The next stage of this process will be a public information meeting at 6:30 p.m. Wednesday night, in the Middle School auditorium.
Proposed project timelines and updates can be viewed on the district’s website, www.oxac.org.