The Great Falls Public Schools board voted unanimously to advertise for bids for the partial roof replacement at Great Falls High.

The project will be advertised this winter with a bid opening scheduled for March 18 so staff can make a recommendation at the March 24 school board meeting for the project estimated at $1,111,376.

The project is being bid with alternates to allow the district to complete part of the project is the bids come in too high.

GFPS approves Meadow Lark roof contract [2024]

In 2022, Cushing Terrell conducted a comprehensive roof assessment for all district buildings and found that the elementary schools collectively 1,039,305 square feet of roofing, while the high schools have 512,350 square feet.

The assessment showed that sections of the GFH roof were in poor condition requiring immediate attention, specifically the fieldhouse roof had had persistent leaks that pose a risk of further damage to the building’s internal structure if not addressed promptly, according to the district.

GFPS approves CMR roof replacement project [2023]

In August 2024, the district conducted a detailed walkthrough of the GFH roof to pinpoint the source of the leaks, revealing that many of the issues originated from exposed concrete masonry unit walls that allowed water infiltration.

Brian Patrick, GFPS’ director of business operations, told the board during their Jan. 13 meeting that costs have come down a bit from a post-COVID high.

GFPS claims $916,188 in state tax credits

Since the project is estimated to exceed $80,000, the district is required to bid the project under state law and board policy.

The bid specifications were developed by Cushing Terrell Architects.

The project will be paid through the high school general fund, interlocal fund and building reserve fund or any combination thereof.