Narragansett Regional School District officials told the select board that the district seeks $12,886,811 to repair chronic roof failures at its Baldwinville Road campus, and that an article to fund the repairs will appear on this fall’s town meeting warrant in November.
The district said the work is urgent because water intrusion has been found in “about 35 locations,” flashing installations are pushing water back into the roof assembly, nails show moisture buildup and insulation is failing. The district plans to replace the high school metal-seam roof across about 70,000 square feet and to repair roughly 17,000 square feet on the middle school side.
The district representative said the Massachusetts School Building Authority will reimburse a majority of the eligible work, “about 60% of the cost,” but that the municipality must borrow the entire project sum and cover the local share. The MSBA sets limits on what it will reimburse by building age and eligibility criteria.
At the presentation, a district representative explained technical problems on the roof, saying, “We’ve got 5 major issues. We got leaking in 35 locations in the building… the flashing was installed, it’s literally pushing water back into the roof assembly.” That representative identified the MSBA as a partner for reimbursement and described the scale of the high-school replacement and the smaller middle-school portion.
The district did not present a final contract award or a vote in the September 24 presentation; the plan will proceed through the town warrant and borrowing processes before contracts are awarded. The transcript does not specify a timeline for construction or the precise dollar amount the MSBA has committed beyond the approximate reimbursement share.
Details not specified in the presentation include the exact local-dollar share to be borrowed, a construction start date, and the identities of potential contractors. The district representative said the MSBA’s age limits constrain what portions of the campus are eligible for reimbursement.
The roof-repair article will appear on the November town meeting warrant for voters to consider. The select board and town finance staff will handle borrowing and the required town meeting processes for any local funding obligation.