Gateway SD approves $1.3 million University Park roof, $26,875 Gateway High dance studio repair

The Gateway School District Board of Education approved a $1,298,920 contract for a complete roof replacement at University Park and a $26,875 contract to repair and resurface the dance studio floor at Gateway High School during its board meeting.

The board approved the roofing contract with Strong Land Roofing (per the CoStar bid), which district staff said will remove existing roof layers down to the metal deck, replace the substrate, and install a new roof system covered by a 30-year warranty under Garland Roofing. A district facilities presenter described the current condition: "The foam is full of water," and said core samples showed the foam saturated to the deck plate, making a full removal and rebuild necessary.

District staff told the board they do not expect additional costs beyond the bid unless the metal deck has unseen deterioration once the existing layers are removed. "I do not [anticipate additional costs], unless... the deck plate is so deteriorated that it has holes," the presenter said. The project is scheduled to begin after teachers leave for the break and, if approved, materials will be ordered immediately; the presenter estimated completion before the start of school, with weather potentially affecting that timeline.

Board members asked technical questions about deck plates, drains and warranties. The presenter said drains will not be dramatically changed because routing new drains through occupied classrooms would be disruptive, and that the work will include sloping foam to direct water to existing drains to reduce ponding. The core samples reportedly found no asbestos in sampled areas.

The board also approved the dance-studio floor work at Gateway High, described by staff as replacing the dug-up area, continuing the new flooring to match the undisturbed sections, and then stripping and recoating the whole floor so it appears uniform. Staff estimated about two weeks of on-site work and an additional seven to ten days for the finish to cure before heavy use.

Board members asked about warranty and vendor longevity; staff noted Garland Roofing has long-standing operations and recommended taking the warranty the vendor offers rather than choosing a shorter term with lower cost. The presenter summarized the district’s shift away from repeated patching toward longer-lived repairs: the goal is to "do it right" to avoid recurring work.

The board voted on these items during a roll call; recorded votes on the roofing and floor approvals were unanimous in favor.

In administrative reports, facilities staff said contractors will address HVAC thermostat issues and parts shortages over the school break and that a new dishwasher has been ordered with an expected delivery date in January.

The approvals follow the district’s capital-priority evaluation and core-sample inspection work described in the meeting.