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Committee hears contractors: Spalding High School oil boilers are aging and likely need replacement
Summary
Facilities staff presented contractor letters saying Spalding High School’s oil-fired boilers (installed 1964 and 1983) are at or beyond expected service life; contractors recommended replacement, with preliminary cost estimates ranging from a major repair (~$150,000) to full replacement of both units (roughly $800,000–$1,000,000). The committee scheduled an on-site boiler-room tour and deferred any vote pending detailed cost options and board approval.
The Barre Unified Union School District #97 facilities committee spent the bulk of its meeting discussing the condition of two oil-fired boilers at Spalding High School, after staff shared assessments from mechanical contractors who recommended replacing aging equipment.
"Essentially what they're both saying is that these boilers have served us well," Jamie said when reviewing two contractor letters. He told the committee the boilers—one original to the building (installed 1964) and a second unit installed in 1983—are beyond expected commercial lifespans (commercial boilers are typically expected to last about 30 years) and that the 1983 unit is showing leaking tubes. "One has failed unless we want to put a lot of money into it," Jamie said, summarizing the contractors' findings.
Why it matters: the district relies on those boilers during shoulder seasons and as an alternate source when the primary wood-chip boilers cannot operate. Committee members pressed staff on timing, costs and whether the district should repair the 1983 unit or move to full replacement.
Committee members raised the financial trade-offs and the effect on the district's capital reserve fund. One member noted the district's capital reserve balance of just over $1 million and questioned whether spending a large share on Spalding would leave insufficient reserves for other schools or emergencies. Another committee member said that sinking $150,000 into an older unit that may fail again in short order risks repeating emergency expenditures.
Staff estimates discussed in the meeting included a ballpark $150,000 for extensive repair work on one boiler and an approximate $800,000 figure cited for replacing a pair of boilers; some members said replacement costs could trend toward $1 million once bidding and contingencies are included. Jamie said the district will need to pursue the usual public-bid and procurement steps and that the schedule tightens the longer approval is delayed because the work must be done before winter.
Committee next steps: the facilities committee decided to hold a hands-on tour of the boiler room for committee members to examine the equipment and get contractors’ answers to outstanding technical questions. The committee scheduled its next meeting for June 15 at 6 p.m. at Spalding High School and did not take a formal vote on replacement at the facilities meeting.
Quotes: "The 1983 boiler, the tubes have decided to want to start leaking," Jamie said. "The 1964 boiler—we can't find parts for it anymore. We can't find contractors that have the knowledge and ability to work on it."
Budget and procurement: Jamie said funds for a replacement, if approved later by the full board, would come from the capital reserve fund rather than the annual operating budget. He cautioned that formal board approval, bidding and timeline constraints mean the district must balance urgency with procurement and fiscal planning.
What’s next: staff will arrange the boiler-room tour, prepare cost-estimate options (including repair vs. replacement and possible fuel/efficiency alternatives to explore), and bring refined proposals and bids to the full board for any formal authorization.
