Board discusses repairs at several Lynn schools

LYNN – As the result of a destructive winter, two schools and portable classroom facilities in Lynn are in need of repairs.The Inspectional Services Department’s reports regarding issues at Aborn Elementary School, Pickering Middle School and the portable classroom facilities at Hood Elementary School and Sisson Elementary School were discussed at Thursday night’s School Committee meeting.The roof on the portable classrooms at Sisson Elementary School leaked several weeks ago due to heavy snow and rain and forced all four classrooms in the portables to be relocated.Superintendent Catherine Latham says the issue is going to take longer than expected to be repaired since the contractor bids were much higher than anticipated.”The Inspectional Services Department is in the process of re-bidding the work that needs to be done because we would like to see some better prices,” said Latham. “As a result, the process of fixing the roof will take a little longer.”Latham said that the Inspectional Services Department anticipated bids to be around $70,000 at the most but the bids received were much more than that.”Once the bid is awarded to a contractor, it should take a short period of time (for repairs),” said Latham.A specific time frame to have students back in the Sisson portables was not discussed.But, Latham says, after the repairs the portable facilities will be good for another 20 years.School Committee member Vincent Spirito asked if the issue of spending “exorbitant” amounts of money on portable classrooms is worth it.”I’m wondering if it would be worth getting rid of the portables and leasing new ones,” he said.School Business Manager Kevin McHugh said leasing new facilities could possibly end up costing the district more money in the long run.”After a certain amount of time, leasing facilities would end up being very expensive,” he said.School Committee member John Ford brought up the idea of purchasing the portable classroom units from KIPP Academy Lynn (KAL) once the school moves to the new KAL Middle and High School campus in August 2012.”We could put a bid out (for KAL’s portables), but it’s very expensive to move the facilities,” said McHugh. “It might not be cost-effective.”Mayor Judith Flanagan Kennedy mentioned putting the topic on the agenda for the Building and Grounds Sub-Committee to explore cost savings, however, that idea was not officially approved by the School Committee.Another topic raised regarded a boiler at Aborn Elementary School that recently failed.Latham says the issue did not have an effect on heating in the building. “The boiler is being replaced,” she said.Heavy snow and rain also caused “minor leaks” on the roof of the Hood Elementary School portables, according to Latham. “We are working on those repairs at this time,” she said. “I walked through the Hood School portables this week. We’re working on that.”Whether or not the leaks were bad enough to relocate students was not discussed.”We are currently working with Mike Donovan and the Inspectional Services Department to correct the issue,” she said.Inspectional Services also sent a report to the Superintendent regarding the indoor air quality at Pickering Middle School, but there was little discussion regarding whether the air quality was a concern.Latham noted, however, that “the issue of air quality at Pickering has since been corrected.”