The Fairfield Area School Board unanimously approved two major renovation projects at its March 27 meeting.
At their March 13 study session, the board heard about plans to replace building roofs and high school gymnasium bleachers.
Business Manager Tim A. Stanton told the board the district has $8.1 million in its reserve account. Of that, $2.2 million is designated for the roof project and $150,000 for the bleachers. The renovation projects are expected to cost $1.995 million.
Roof renovation project
Building and Grounds Director William H. Mooney told the board two recent scans of the elementary and middle/high school roofs indicate repairs are necessary for some sections. The roofs have sustained damage since they were partially replaced in 2011.
“I will not sit here and tell you someone wasn’t honest with you previous times. We just have a significant square footage to fix,” Superintendent Thomas J. Haupt said.
Haupt said the district plans to conduct thermal scans of the new roofs every year to ensure they are not deteriorating faster than expected. Mooney said both projects will cost about $1.8 million.
“If all is good, the district should not have to replace a roof until 2031,” Haupt said, referring to the estimated end-of-life for sections of the roofs that will not be affected by the current project.
Board Vice President Jack Liller commended the administration for taking a holistic approach to the roof project.
“If we are going to do this, then this is the way we should do it instead of putting a bandaid on it, putting a bandaid on it, putting a bandaid on it,” Liller
Mooney told the board the project’s primary purpose is to lower humidity in district buildings. The district is especially sensitive to humidity issues since it was forced to spend $1.5 million on building dehumidifying and furniture replacement in 2018 when building systems failed to prevent a mold infestation. The district then committed a $10.3 million bond to replace the failed systems.
Gym renovation project
The district also plans to replace the bleachers and floor in the high school gymnasium at a total cost of $190,460, Mooney said. The current bleachers do not meet current construction codes nor the Americans with Disabilities Act.
“I think it is awesome we are not going to make elderly people climb those bleachers like they do now, and I am one of those elderly people,” Liller said.
The high school gymnasium floor, which Haupt referred to as “unsightly,” will be replaced and decorated with new school logos.
“It should be a really beautiful project when we are done with it,” Haupt said.
In the future, the district plans to paint the gymnasium, while protecting the new bleachers and floor.
“There is no time to do all of that work this summer. The priority to us is the liability concern with the bleachers,” Haupt said.
The district is also looking for a new school logo. At last month’s meeting, the board suggested asking students to submit ideas. Haupt reported no students expressed interest so the administration is exploring other options.
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Alex J. Hayes has spent almost two decades in the Adams County news business. He is passionate about sharing stories focused on the people in our communities and following local governments in an age when few journalists report on their meetings. Alex is also a freelance writer for several other publications in South Central Pennsylvania. Alex encourages readers to contact him at ahayes83@gmail.com.