High‑school roof and solar canopy highlight busy summer capital work; some projects drove overages

School district facilities staff told the School Committee that a busy summer of capital work produced several wins and a significant unexpected cost on the high‑school roof project.

At Sheehan School, aging Federal Pacific electrical panels were replaced after engineering advice; the cost of that work was cited in the $500–$530K range and included a new service line. Staff also replaced a failing Univent heating unit and installed two used hot‑water boilers to reduce reliance on a 1968 heat exchanger.

Across the district, projects included a tilt‑skillet and new dishwasher in the high‑school kitchen, flexible cafeteria furniture, security camera installations, two breakout spaces at Thurston and modular roof replacement. Facilities credited in‑house electrician Ed Cogavan and project managers including Skanska (OPM) and an on‑site field rep, Jerry Albert.

The high‑school roof required more work than anticipated after moisture and vapor‑barrier failures over the pool resulted in a roughly $270,000 change order; combined with other costs related to solar‑panel removal this pushed the high‑school project toward $3,000,000 compared with the district's original $2.5M budget. The presenter said the district absorbed the excess costs within the capital budget but that reserve capacity for other roof projects was reduced.

Staff also reported progress on a solar canopy and conduit work coordinated with EV charger trenching; the interconnection and testing for the canopy and chargers is scheduled for Nov. 10 (evening) with the next day set aside for building warm‑up and checks.

Committee members asked about drainage details at the canopy posts and remedies for a bike‑pad pour that did not set correctly; staff said they are negotiating remedies with contractors and expect most parking spots to be returned within about 10 days.