Roof repairs under way at Peabody middle school

PEABODY – The popular Butch Cassidy classic “Raindrops Keep Falling On My Head” will no longer apply to students at the state’s largest middle school, as roof repairs well underway are sure to keep their heads dry.It was no secret that the Higgins Middle School roof was in dire need of some fixing. In fact, its terrible condition played a large role in the district’s decision to apply for funding from the Massachusetts School Building Authority. But, as the funding process slowed, the roof situation worsened, and the city was forced to take matters into its own hands.”It just had to be fixed,” said Superintendent Milt Burnett, who was told by contractors over the summer that the roof was beyond repair and wouldn’t last through the winter. “If it wasn’t done, we were going to potentially have more severe damage.”After receiving the green light to use money from the city’s capital improvements fund, the project immediately went in for architectural design and out to public bid. The chosen contractor was Gibson’s Roofs of Hanover. Their bid came in at $413,000, well under original projections.Burnett said he hopes to be reimbursed for at least 50 percent of the cost if the state decides to approve their request for aid.”We couldn’t wait for a final answer, and they are aware of that,” he said.Work began Monday and will continue through Dec. 22, just before the start of the student’s winter break. The roof above the main gym will be taken care of first, followed by the smaller gym, and then the “science wing.”Burnett said that there will be some minor inconveniences since the work takes place during the school day, but not anything the school can’t handle. He said some gym classes will have to focus on health and nutrition rather than physical education for two to three days at most. But, as many phys ed classes are interrupted by heavy rainfall on a regular basis, being moved to a classroom setting really won’t be that much different, said Burnett.Preserving the gym floor was another reason why the city opted to move ahead with the repairs. Burnett said empty barrels are frequently placed across the floor to catch rain leaking from the ceiling before it can do any damage.”We didn’t want to take the chance of losing our gym floor,” he said, adding that it would cost tens of thousands of dollars to replace.The current repairs are expected to move quickly with approximately 17 employees on the job, all of whom have passed CORI checks. Burnett said that the work is not just a quick fix, but an immediate permanent fix. However, other sections of the roof will need to be replaced at a later date.Once completed, the roof should last the city approximately 20 years, said Burnett.