Board approves $1.145 million contract to replace Lombardi Elementary roof

The Brandywine School District board voted to award a $1,145,697 contract to Winchester Roofing Corporation to replace about 53,000 square feet of roof at Lombardi Elementary.

Mr. Reid presented the project, saying the district received competitive bids after completing design work early. "We received 13 bids," he said, and "the price of the contract came to $1.145 million," which he described as about $21 per square foot. The work will remove the existing insulation and roofing, install roughly 6 inches of new insulation to meet current county code, re‑roof the building with a product carrying a 25‑year warranty and schedule mechanical‑unit replacements while roofing work is underway.

Board members asked whether the increased insulation would extend the roof’s useful life or yield significant energy savings; Mr. Reid said life‑span improvements are expected but energy‑savings calculations were not completed for this project. He also explained why Lombardi qualified as a minor capital project (thresholds trigger a capital referendum for larger projects) and noted funding comes from the district’s minor capital allocation (roughly 60% state, 40% local).

The board moved, seconded and approved the contract by voice vote; the transcript records the voice approval but not a roll‑call tally. District staff said work will begin early in the summer and that library and cafeteria mechanical units — about 21 years old — will be separately bid and replaced while the roof work is in progress to avoid cutting a new roof a year later.

The approval authorizes staff to proceed with contracting and scheduling; the board did not vote on additional budget changes beyond awarding the contract.