The urgent need for roof repairs

Schools in the Clinton system are facing a roofing need that administrators say is getting worse and more costly. Total repair costs are currently estimated at over $11 million.

That was the message John Lowe, executive director of technology and support services for Clinton City Schools, delivered to the Clinton City School Board last week.

Both the city and county school systems have had roofing issues for some time, and Lowe said the estimated cost for four of the five Clinton City schools for total roof repairs is about $11,299,600 supplied.

“Going back to the (state) Needs Based Capital Fund, that window opened Aug. 1 and the filing deadline was Sept. 13,” Lowe said. “We met that deadline and I filled out 14 different applications that Dr. (Linda) Brunson was able to sign together with our district representatives. These applications allocate over $6 million for roofing and I included approximately $2.5 million for HVAC needs.

“There is no guarantee that we will receive funding, but in 2021-22 I received almost $900,000, so we can hope for some support from the state in this area,” he continued prices change.”

The $11 million estimate accounts for every school in need, except the newer Clinton High. Among those numbers were cases, Lowe said, that he considered high priority based on their current condition.

“I needed those estimates to support the grant,” Lowe explained. “So you can see some of the updated numbers as well as places that are high priority for me right now. This is Building 300 at LC Kerr, where multiple leaks have occurred in four of the six classrooms. The next equally high priorities are Sampson Middle, both the academic wing and the gymnasium, and then there is the Sunset Avenue wall.

“That wall, I mean, I don’t sleep on it because we have that dividing brick facade,” Lowe confirmed. “If action is not taken, the brick facade above office wing 800 will eventually fall away, from the upper part to the lower part. We have to deal with it.”

The wall project alone, Lowe said, is estimated to cost about $280,000, money he noted is included in his capital expenditure plan. Although there are plans to make the repairs, Lowe said more help is needed.

“My capital expenditure plan for this school year is to bid and rehabilitate that wall, but we’re going to need some assistance from the Needs Base Public School Capital Funds or an infusion of some (money) from the County Commissioners Fund Balance will help us do that because it will be an expensive project,” emphasized Lowe.

The director also explained in detail how the contractors should repair the wall and when funds will be available for the project.

“The recommendation is to take the brick façade off, replace the windows and install vertical metal roof panels as we are getting water through the current brick façade,” he said. “We made every possible attempt to patch it; We replaced the edging on the bottom and coated the wall with a water repellent to try to contain the problem, but we are now at the point where we have no more paving.”

The Sunset wall isn’t the only place Lowe said she’s at her patch limit.

“We’re also running out of pavers for the 300 Hall at LC Kerr,” he said. “As you know, we keep going back up there and covering the shingles even more and now it looks like a patchwork quilt, but then new leaks keep popping up elsewhere. That’s why I’m sharing these estimates to show where we stand in terms of our roofing needs. This really helped me prepare our applications for the Needs Based Public Schools Capital Funds Grant.”

Regarding the scope of the total roofing needs, Lowe’s provided estimates detailing the estimated 2024 construction costs and the 2024 consulting fee, which were equal to the total cost of the project.

• Butler Avenue – (Building 300) construction $243,000, consulting $19,000; a total of $262,000

• LC Kerr – (gym wall) construction $27,000, consulting $4,000; total $31,000; (300 buildings) $148,500, $12,000; total $160,500; (Building 01.15-Kimbrough Road, end of 200 Hall) $196,500, $16,000; a total of $212,500.

• Sunset Avenue – (Elevation Wall) construction $259,000, consulting $21,000; total $280,000; (Triangular building on Kerr Street side) $636,000, $51,000; a total of $687,000; (Auditorium) $315,000, $25,000; a total of $340,000; (700 Hall at Finch Street) $423,000, $33,800; total $456,800; (Combined Auditorium and Finch Street Hall – not charged as a whole) $738,000, $58,800; a total of $796,800.

• Sampson Middle – (Total area of ​​Sampson Middle – not calculated as a whole) Construction $3,720,000, Consulting $335,000; total $4,055,000; (Academic Wing) Construction $2,025,000, Consulting $162,000; a total of $2,187,000; (Gym Wing) $1,695,000, $136,000; totaling $1,831,000.

Based on these figures, the estimated total construction cost is $10,426,000 with consulting fees at $873,600 for a total cost of $11,299,600. While it is a steep hill to overcome, and while plans are underway to address the worst problems, he stressed that urgent help from other sources continues to be needed.

“There is some good news on LC Kerr, as I mentioned, such as our 2021-22 needs-based funds that I just filed this summer, our recent final reports, and my numbers are exactly the same as theirs. The offers were only slightly below our proposal, which was around $57,000.”

While these funds are only intended for the projects listed on their applications, such as new construction, Lowe said the possibility of using these grants for roof repairs at LC Kerr is an option.

“You (NC DPI) immediately said that we would not like to refund these funds, and I responded that I did not want to refund them either, but according to your information, they can only be used to the extent that was suggested in the grant application.” he said. “They said that’s true, but let me discuss this with my boss Dennis Hilton. Dennis then comes back to me and asks: Are there any other roofing projects at the locations that were included?

Lowe continued: “I said, yes, sir, there is; We have an urgent need at LC Kerr Elementary. It’s far more than what we have left, but would that be eligible?” What ultimately came out of it, and I got this in writing from the Office of School Planning, was that we were going to use the $57,000 that we were awarded for can use the LC Kerr project.

“This is helping us tremendously and I had already budgeted a certain amount for this product,” he added. “I hope the project goes through and receives a fair bid so I can shift the rest of my budget toward the wall at Sunset and both of these issues can be resolved with this capital outlay. That is my intention and then we will tackle the others as best we can, hopefully with the help of the district commissioners.”

Reach Michael B. Hardison at 910-249-4231. Follow us on Twitter at @SamsponInd, like us on Facebook and check out our Instagram at @thesampsonindependent.