Board OKs roofing projects for as many as 7 schools

WATERLOO --- Several roofing projects and the remodeling of three West High School classrooms were approved Wednesday by the Board of Education.

A $1.36 million contract was approved with Service Roofing of Waterloo to partially reroof as many as seven schools. That was the lowest proposal of five companies that bid on reroofing all the buildings. Other bids ranged from $1.45 million to $2.1 million.

Nonetheless, the Service Roofing contract is more than the $1.2 million in physical plant and equipment levy funds Waterloo Community Schools has available for the projects.

"We would like the board to approve the basis bid and work with the contractors on which area we value-engineer out," said Dan Channer of Struxture Architects, which is providing design services.

Roofs bid on include the Elk Run Early Childhood Center; Bunger, Central and Hoover middle schools; East and West high schools and the McKinstry building (now housing Expo Alternative Learning Center). An alternate not included in the basis bid is to reroof another portion of the Elk Run building.

"My recommendation is we would forego McKinstry and do Elk Run," Marty Metcalf, the district's director of operational services, told the board.

"We are a little behind in our maintenance of our roofs the last three or four years," he added. "These are the worst of the worst."

Each roof will have a 30-year warranty except Central, which will have a 20-year warranty. The shorter warranty relates to the roof's original construction, which the manufacturer won't cover for 30 years. The projects must be done by the end of the calendar year.

The board also approved a $201,100 contract with Prairie Construction Services of Waterloo to remodel three West High classrooms for science courses. Prairie Construction Services --- a new company employing many of the same staff from the similarly named Prairie Construction, which recently went out of business --- was the lowest of three bids. The other two bids were $211,100 and $212,300. The low bid is about $150,000 lower than was estimated.

The remodeling will allow the school to have a science classroom including one demonstration table in each of its career interest academies. The table would include water and gas capabilities allowing for science demonstrations.

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Board OKs roofing projects for as many as 7 schools