By Matt Leonard

Funding for three roofing projects at Isle of Wight County schools was approved at last week’s school board meeting and the school system is considering a study of Hardy’s long-term feasibility.

At issue with Hardy is the school’s failing septic system and whether it’s financially advantageous to invest in a replacement system or build a new elementary school to replace the current infrastructure, which was constructed in 1961.

The roofing funds will be used to replace the roofs at Carrsville, Windsor and Carrollton Elementary schools. The cost will be $350,000, $895,000 and $1.3 million, respectively. {mprestriction ids=”1,2,3,4,5,6″}

Monies for the project are being set aside in the system’s capital improvement plan thanks to a revision the board unanimously approved last week.

This comes after a roofing report was presented in February to the School Board when it was told the three schools were in need of updated roofing.

Rob Moore from Metal Roof and Building Consultants presented the findings last month.

Moore said the three schools in the most need are the ones now approved for funding. The worst, he said, is Carrollton.

“There were more reported leaks at Carrollton,” he said, “and the condition of the shingles was really not that good.”

He told the board the roofs in the worst condition were the ones using shingles, but said this is a fairly common problem to have.

Shingles can lose their waterproof seal when vapor forms underneath as a result of improper installation, he said.

The replacement and upkeep of the roofs has taken priority over getting a new wastewater system at Hardy Elementary, but Superintendent Jim Thornton said they have recently signed on two architectural firms for the school system.

These two firms will essentially be on call for the school system and they will be able to negotiate project needs that arise in the schools — like Hardy’s wastewater system, Thornton said.

 “We really want the Hardy wastewater system studied,” he said.

The project has been estimated to cost about $2 million, but he said there hasn’t been any study that would put a firm number on what it would cost to alleviate the septic system issues at the school. But beyond upgrading the school’s septic system, the county will be asking if “that building is going to be viable in (the county’s) future,” Thornton said.

“If it’s not,” he said. “Then why are we doing a wastewater issue — why are we spending $2 million on it.”

The architects would give a report on both the septic system and the long-term viability of the school infrastructure. Funding for the study hasn’t yet been approved and would need to be voted on by the School Board.

Thornton said that if the school is not found to be a workable option for the future then the county would look at budgeting the CIP for a new elementary school. If the building is found to have life left in it, then the wastewater project will the tackled, which would also be funded through the CIP.

“We’re talking about the infrastructure long term,” Thornton said. “Is it worth investing in that location. We just want to make sure.”  {/mprestriction}