Leominster council OKs borrowing to replace Northwest School roof

LEOMINSTER -- The City Council took the first step Monday night to help pay for the replacement of the leaking roof on Northwest Elementary School.

The council took the first of two votes needed to authorize the city to borrow $3,249,170 for the replacement. However, the city is not on the hook for the entire $3.2 million, according to City Treasurer David Laplante.

The Massachusetts School Building Authority, which determines the need for school facilities' improvements throughout the state, will reimburse the city 72 percent of the total cost of the project.

The city will be responsible for $909,767 of the cost of the roof's replacement, said Laplante.

Water leaking from the roof above the gymnasium prompted the request to the state for assistance to have it replaced.

"There is a tremendous amount of leaking," said Superintendent Jim Jolicoeur.

He said the infrastructure of the roof is failing as are the roofing tiles above the gym and the leaking water has the potential to damage the gym's wooden parquet floor.

When the City Council took the first vote Monday on authorizing the loan, the item was not on the agenda.

Jolicoeur explained the reason the vote was not included on the agenda was because the projected costs of the roof's replacement wasn't learned until after the council's agenda was set last Thursday.

All of the necessary approvals and authorizations from the school committee and City Council must in the hands of the MSBA's Board of Directors for approval by the last week of January, said Jolicoeur.

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Leominster council OKs borrowing to replace Northwest School roof