Colonial SD staff ask board to prioritize Plymouth Elementary roof, three‑story high school wing for summer work

A facilities staff member for Colonial School District told the board the district will prioritize completing the roof at Plymouth Elementary and the three‑story wing of the high school this coming summer and seek to fund those projects from capital reserve funds.

The facilities staff member said the change reduces the district’s total project cost so the work can be financed from capital reserves rather than a larger capital program. “Because it’s a moving target and I’m working with finance closely so that we can allocate the funds and then prioritize what needs to be done next, I’m only gonna be moving forward or asking the board to move forward with finishing Plymouth Elementary in its entirety,” the staff member said. The staff member added that the three‑story wing of the high school would be the other piece slated for this summer.

District staff explained the recommendation reflects warranty status and performance across buildings. The speaker said the classroom addition at Plymouth completed in 2017 remains under warranty and is not included in the immediate project, while many other roof areas are out of warranty and will be managed through the district’s five‑year plan. “Some roofs are performing really well still even though they’re out of warranty,” the facilities staff member said, noting extreme weather could change priorities.

The staff member said the remainder of roof work will remain a “live document” in the five‑year plan; jobs may be moved earlier or later as needs and budgets shift. They also said staff will upload a document to BoardDocs highlighting which roofing areas were addressed in 2017 and which remain outstanding.

Board members asked clarifying questions about what is being excluded by the shift in priorities and whether any 2017 work had included roofing. The facilities staff member said the 2017 classroom addition at Plymouth is still under warranty and therefore not part of the current request; several other areas at the high school were not done in 2017 and would be considered separately.

There was no formal vote recorded at the meeting; staff framed this as a request to the board to authorize moving forward with the two priority roofs and to use capital reserve funding. The facilities meeting adjourned after staff answered questions and called for public comment; none was offered.

Less urgent items — including the remainder of district roofs and the sequencing of future work — will stay on the five‑year plan and be re‑prioritized as conditions and funding change.