Officials identify broader scope for Marblehead High School roof work; town may seek debt exclusion for HVAC

District facilities staff advised the School Committee that a Marblehead High School roof resurfacing project has grown in scope after designers inspected the building and found HVAC units near the end of their useful life. The administration recommended asking the town for an additional debt exclusion to fund HVAC replacement rather than performing a limited resurfacing now and re‑mobilizing later.

Assistant Superintendent of Finance and Operations Mike Piffling said initial plans and the $5,360,000 bond were intended to replace the roof surface. Once Raymond Designs inspected the roof, staff discovered the majority of rooftop HVAC units are deteriorated and use refrigerant that is no longer manufactured and is costly to source. "The majority of our HVAC systems were at the end of their life. These HVAC systems use the refrigerant that is no longer manufactured and cannot be bought, on the open market," Piffling said.

Piffling told the committee the options were to replace HVAC now with modern equipment that uses current refrigerants, or to temporarily reinstall old equipment using recovered refrigerant, a stopgap expected to last only two to three years if the units survive removal and reinstallation. He warned that removing and reinstalling equipment twice would drive costs higher: designers projected an additional roughly $2,500,000 if the contractor must mobilize twice and the district later replaces HVAC.

To avoid voiding a new roof warranty and to consolidate construction mobilization, district staff recommended asking town meeting for an $8,610,000 debt exclusion to fund the HVAC and related scope, adding to the original roof appropriation and bringing the total project cost to roughly $14 million. Staff emphasized the bid and procurement timeline: specifications and designs will be developed over the next several months, bids issued, and, if the town approves funding, equipment orders placed. The earliest projected delivery for major equipment is December 2025, with actual roof work likely occurring after the 2026 graduation period so the field house can remain available for inclement‑weather plans.

Committee members asked about how the project had been scoped previously. Members and staff said the original estimate was based on a limited survey and square‑footage cost assumptions; a full on‑roof inspection and a facilities owner's project manager produced the expanded scope. The administration and facility subcommittee said they will provide more public explanation of how the scope widened and the timeline, and they urged transparency to help secure community support for a potential debt exclusion vote at town meeting.

Finance director Alicia Benjamin had previously supplied sample homeowner cost estimates to the media using a 30‑year bond for public information; the committee said the town finance office will determine final financing terms if voters approve a debt exclusion. Piffling and administrators also said they will consider feasibility study practices for large future projects so the district and town better understand full scope before asking for funding.

No formal town‑level borrowing decision was made by the School Committee at this meeting. District staff recommended the additional debt exclusion and will bring the request to town meeting and the town finance process.