Board of Ed. Approves $35K Request to Repair Roof Damage

The Suffield Board of Education voted unanimously to request approximately $35,000 in town funds to repair damage done to school roofs during winter snowstorms and subsequent snow removal process at its meeting on Tuesday.

According to Ed Basile, business manager for the school system, Spaulding Elementary School and McAlister Intermediate School both sustained roof damage during the winter. Workers had to shovel snow from the roofs to allow the schools to continue operating. Basile said the damage has led to leaks in the roofs.

The town was forced to close both the schools this winter due to the weight of accumulated snow on the buildings. Both Suffield town employees and independent contractors were used to clear the roofs.

“We filed a claim with our insurance company but we are not covered,” Basile said.

He did note, however, that he has appealed this decision as it was not based on a physical inspection of the damage and remains hopeful that at least some of the funds necessary for repairs will be covered by the insurance policy. He added that his office worked with contractors to reduce the overall cost of repairs. The current repair cost is $34, 905.

Board of Education member Bob Eccles said the Board of Selectmen might put some contingencies on the final figure but “[the board] need[s] to make the request be at the most that amount to cover the damages.”

Basile recommended drawing the repair money from the town’s contingency fund. He said the net cost to the town could be significantly less, as insurance reimbursement and funding from FEMA are both possibilities that could lessen the town’s burden.

“With June 30 fast approaching, I doubt we will know about these funds before then and we need to get this done,” Basile said.

The board approved the motion without opposition.

In other news, board member Jeanne Gee presented the final report from the board’s communications committee. She said her group made recommendations to facilitate communication with parents.

These suggestions, combined with the initiatives from the BlumShapiro efficiency report approved by the board at its last meeting, will greatly increase the flow of information throughout the district.

The recommendations included the creation of a community and school information packet by grade levels for families new to Suffield schools, the maximization of technology to offer parents multiple avenues with which to communicate with the schools.

“A great example of this is the parent portal,” she said. “It is just amazing.”

The committee’s final recommendation was a re-examination of the district Web site, looking at the delivery system of information for uniformity and messaging effectiveness about what is important in the district.

The communications subcommittee consisted of Gee, Sue Porcello and Lori D’ostuni. The Board of Education is slated to meet again on Tuesday, June 7 at 6:30 pm in the Suffield Middle School media center.