Governor Wentworth Regional School Board authorizes up to $369,000 for Carpenter School ceiling repairs

The Governor Wentworth Regional School Board voted unanimously June 16 to authorize up to $369,000 from the district's Maintenance Capital Reserve Fund to repair ceilings and replace lighting in the 1925 portion of Carpenter School, Superintendent Caroline Arakelian said.

Arakelian told the board that on May 9 a ceiling collapsed at Carpenter School and that on June 12 contractors, an architect and an engineer conducted a walk-through. She said the initial inspection found plaster separating from its strapping by about 1 to 4 inches across rooms in the 1925 section, creating significant safety concerns and prompting the need to scope every room to determine the full extent of repairs. Two repair approaches were presented: remove the plaster entirely, or secure it with additional strapping and code-compliant fasteners. Lighting in the same section will also be replaced to improve energy efficiency and reduce long-term costs, she said.

Dr. James Manning moved the funding measure and Mary Schillereff seconded it. During discussion, Superintendent Arakelian and Business Administrator Kathy O'Blenes answered board questions about insurance, contractors and next steps. They said Primex, the district's insurer, will not cover preventative work and recommended two contractors for bidding: Construction Services of NH and Insercomm Restoration Group. An architect familiar with the district will prepare bid specifications and the district's informal estimate from that architect suggests insurance coverage together with funds available from the trust will likely be sufficient to fund the work. Board members were told the Maintenance Capital Reserve Fund was established in 1990, had only two prior contributions and had not been drawn from until this request; staff recommended replenishing the fund annually going forward.

Chair Brodie Deshaies opened and closed the public hearing portion; no members of the public spoke. The motion to expend up to $369,000 passed unanimously. Recorded votes were: Dr. Elizabeth Sheckler, yes; Ms. Danielle Van Dusen, yes; Dr. James Manning, yes; Mr. Tom Bickford, yes; Ms. Kirsten Burke, yes; Ms. Mary Schillereff, yes; Mr. Brodie Deshaies, yes.

The board did not set a firm project timeline at the meeting; staff said further scoping and the architect's bid specifications must be completed before a schedule can be determined. The meeting adjourned at 6:44 p.m.