A Gardner public school may soon be getting an upgrade.
Officials have announced that plans are moving forward on a $6.9 million project to renovate the roof on the Gardner Middle School, with up to 80% of the cost being reimbursed by the state.
The school opened in 1997, which makes its roof 28 years old, according to Mark Hawke, the director of finance and operations for the city’s public school system.
“This is the third time the city has applied to the (Massachusetts School Building Authority) and its Accelerated Repair Program,” Hawke said. “In 2021, the rules changed so that would only do roof work on roofs 25 years and older. The program was put on hold for one year due to MSBA funding issues.”
Officials have announced that plans are moving forward on a $6.9 million project to renovate the roof on the Gardner Middle School. The school was built in 1997.
The city had previously applied for funding for the project in 2018 and 2021, Hawke said. After submitting an application in Feb. 2024, the city was selected to move forward with the project by performing a feasibility study by MSBA’s board of directors at their Aug. 27 meeting.
Project to repair school’s roof, gutter system
The GMS roof is a combination of standing seam, a single-lock metal roof system, and a single-ply EPDM (synthetic rubber membrane) roof system, according to Hawke.
“Various repairs and patches to the metal roof and rubber roof have been made since 2016,” he said. “The gutter system is in terrible disrepair and has completely rotted off the building in many sections.”
The city will qualify for an 80% reimbursement rate of eligible costs, Hawke noted.
“The key word is ‘eligible’ costs,” he said. “For example, if we replace any of the aging HVAC components on the roof, that would be an ineligible cost as the MSBA is only replacing the roofing system.”
Timeline for the project
The city’s next step will be the creation of construction documents for the project, Hawke said, adding that he hoped to put the project out to bid by December, with construction on the roof being performed over the summer of 2026.
“We are excited to move forward as this will solidify the GMS building for use for decades to come,” Hawke added.
This article originally appeared on Gardner News: Gardner Middle School roof project approved for state funding