Superintendent reports exchange students, community talk and urgent roof damage at Hingham schools

Superintendent Kathryn Roberts told the Hingham School Committee on Feb. 24 that the district expects an influx of exchange students and community programming even as several schools face urgent roof failures that produced water damage over February vacation.

Roberts said 17 exchange students and visiting teachers from Cahors, France, will arrive and be hosted at Hingham High School through March 6; students will attend classes and participate in cultural and sightseeing activities. She also highlighted a community presentation by author Lynn Lyons scheduled for March 4 to support district wellness initiatives and noted site visits for a finalist for the executive director of student services, including focus groups and a community Zoom.

Roberts described extensive roof leaks and water damage at Hingham High School, Plymouth River and South School during the February vacation. She presented photographs in the meeting packet showing hallway ceiling tile damage and stressed repair complications because some patching cannot occur when roof surfaces are below about 40 degrees. "The combination of the two was made for a real challenge," she said, noting concerns about damage to equipment and ongoing maintenance needs.

Committee members and staff acknowledged the facilities team’s work documenting damage and discussed the urgency of capital repairs; Roberts said the photos were provided to underscore the need for new roofs. No formal capital appropriation vote took place at the meeting; committee members said capital needs will be discussed further in upcoming budget and capital outlay meetings.