Lincoln Elementary is preparing to open for the school year to all its normally assigned students after a windstorm tore off about half of the school’s roof in March.
During the Aug. 3 school board meeting, Superintendent Heather Hoyer said that trees out front have been planted, floors have been sanded, there’s new tile in one room and a new drop ceiling with recessed lighting was installed in the section that lost its roof.
GFPS board approves $399k Lincoln roof repair contract
Luke Diekhans, GFPS’ business operations, said that school was set to reopen normally for all Lincoln students and teachers were getting ready to set up their classrooms.
When the roof blew off, it caused structural damage, rendering about half the building unusable. School was canceled at Lincoln for March 9-10.
Lincoln Elementary roof damaged by wind, school will not be held there Monday or Tuesday
The school board voted unanimously to approve the emergency closure, under GFPS board policy and state law, during a special meeting on March 9.
Kindergarten through third grade and specialists were able to remain in Lincoln, Lance Boyd, assistant superintendent, told The Electric in March, since those classes are in the northern half of the building, which still has a roof.
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Other students relocated temporarily as follows:
- grade 4 to Lewis and Clark Elementary
- grades 5-6 to Paris Gibson Education Center
In March, the school board voted unanimously to award a $399,063 contract to Empire Roofing for an emergency repair of the Lincoln roof, about half of which was blown off during a March 8 windstorm.
Because of the emergent need to repair the school roof, the district didn’t have to follow the standard statutory contracting process and was able to meet with four roofing contractors it had worked with over the last six years.
The district is also working with Cushing Terrell, a local architecture and engineering firm, which has worked on recent school roof projects.
GFPS considering bids to repair Lincoln roof during March 31 meeting
On March 19, the district and Cushing Terrell met with the four roofing contractors to discuss the scope of work and walk through the area included in the roofing replacement project.
The contractors were told that the lowest bid was among the selection criteria, but due to the urgency of the project, the ability to start the project would carry additional weight in the selection process, according to GFPS.
Bids were submitted March 27 as follows:
- Empire Roofing, Inc.: $399,063
- Summit Roofing: $498,160
- Centimark: $519,187
- Metalworks of Montana: $599,088
Diekhans, GFPS’ business operations, told the board during its March 31 meeting that it wasn’t a fully engineered project, but the district was working with Cushing Terrell to manage the project.
Diekhans said typically roofing contractors are booked this time of year, but all four assured the district they could start within two weeks of finalizing a contract.
GFPS relocating some Lincoln students after wind blows off roof
Diekhans said the Lincoln roof replacement should be completed within about two months, weather dependent.
The project will be paid through an insurance claim, and Diekhans said they’re learning as they go, but have a good plan.
Diekhans told The Electric on March 23 that the Lincoln roof repair will primarily be covered by insurance, but the district must pay a $5,000 deductible out of the general fund.
He said the district had already incurred some cleanup costs and repairs to a tangled fiber optic cable and damaged sprinkler system totaling about $75,000 so far.
Lincoln Elementary roof damaged by wind, school will not be held there Monday or Tuesday
He told The Electric that the damaged roof on the south end of the school had been removed and the rafter roof will also be removed and replaced with a sloped roof.
Diekhans said the north end of the roof is fine but might have some gutter repairs.
Diekhans said the district’s insurance provider, Marsh McLellan through the Montana Schools Group Interlocal Authority, had been good to work with and was in touch with the district the day of the windstorm.
