Winchester board asks town to seek state grant for Pearson School roof; local share estimated about $840,000

The Winchester Board of Education voted to request that the town initiate a project to repair the Pearson School roof, after hearing a presentation on state grant rules, estimated costs and timeline.

Roger Laflur, the project manager invited to the meeting, told the board that the current school-construction reimbursement rate is "72.14%" and described common categories that can be ineligible for reimbursement. He told the board the roof work would likely be eligible for the bulk of its cost and that a typical roofing project is completed in about three months, though design and permitting can extend the schedule.

Board members said they want to move quickly to secure competitive contractor bids and state grant positions. Laflur warned that only a handful of state-qualified roofing contractors typically handle jobs this size and encouraged getting design and bidding work underway in February or March to avoid price increases. He also recommended carrying a contingency and explained that certain costs—such as bonding interest and some off-site or administrative items—are not reimbursed.

On a motion brought during the action-items segment, the board approved asking the town to initiate a Pearson roof project with a ballpark estimate of $2.8 million and an anticipated reimbursement rate near 72%, which the board summarized as resulting in an approximate $840,000 local share. The board directed staff to place the request before the board of selectmen to advance architectural design, building committee formation and the state grant application process.

Next steps identified at the meeting include drafting educational specifications for the grant application, coordinating with the town finance staff on how to present the local share on a referendum or in the budget, and engaging an architect to produce schematic drawings that would accompany the application. The board also noted the practical timing constraint that grant applications and local referenda must be coordinated so construction could occur in the summer following approval.

The board emphasized the estimate is approximate and that contingency planning and final design will determine the actual town cost. Staff and the project manager said they would work with the town to refine the budget and the referendum language before the request goes to voters or a final town decision is made.