Union Elementary School is getting a new roof. On July 17, a dozen construction workers worked on the roof while another worker operated a lift, which delivered brand new material from the ground. Construction on the new roof began July 11 with the removal of the old roof, said Facilities Director Brian Race. 

 The project has been years in the making.

In 2023, Regional School Union 40’s School Board put forth an $81 million bond designed to address a number of facilities issues at each of the district’s schools. RSU 40 comprises Union, Friendship, Waldoboro, Warren, and Washington and educates students at Medomak Middle and High schools, Friendship Village, Miller, Prescott, Union and Warren schools.

As part of the public education effort to substantiate the bond, RSU 40 held open houses at each school to show the problems with water heaters, furnaces, septic systems, roofs, and more. Voters rejected the bond in the November election. 

 Over this past winter, RSU 40 began working with Energy Efficient Investments, Inc., to determine best next steps based on which projects would lead to cost savings offsetting construction costs. 

At the May 14 public hearing for the 2024-2025 school year budget, RSU 40 Superintendent Steven Nolan said it would be another year before he could report on expected next steps for the facilities upgrades.   

Principal Scott White of Union Elementary moved to add $1 million to the facilities budget to address the unfunded facilities needs. At the meeting, some citizens suggested earmarking that money specifically for replacing the septic system at the Medomak Valley High School. 

 Board Chair Danny Jackson said while he could not allow the amendment to the motion to add $1 million, the Board was aware of the public’s desire for the funds. The motion was approved; $1 million was added to the 2024-2025 budget. 

At the June 20 Facility Committee meeting, RSU 40 Facilities Director Brian Race said two projects have been identified as top priorities: the MVHS septic system and the Union Elementary roof replacement. 

Race said it will take six to nine months to design a septic system, determine its location, obtain state and town approval for the work, hire an excavation company, and procure the materials. 

The engineers RSU 40 has worked with so far have determined one  possible site for the new septic is the school’s living history arboretum; those trees would need to be relocated, Race said.

Race recommended the Board approve funding to replace the roof at Union Elementary School. Race said the roof is “100% failed.” 

Business Manager Karen Pike said the roof leaks in multiple places; students and staff put out buckets to collect water when it rains.

If any portion of the roof were to collapse, not only would the replacement cost increase by an unknown and likely exponential amount, the school would be forced to close and the students bussed to other schools, said Pike. 

If the septic fields at MVHS fail, the system can still be pumped out and the school would not need to close.  

Race said he had a contractor lined up who could start the roof replacement as early as the next week. After some discussion acknowledging that this is not what voters at the May 14 public hearing expected to be the first project, the Facilities committee voted to approve the plan to be sent to the full Board. 

At the July 3 meeting, Board members expressed the same concerns about potentially going against the taxpayers’ stated desires, but ultimately acknowledged that moving forward on a project that could happen immediately and prevent an emergency school closure was the appropriate decision. 

The Board voted to approve funding the roof replacement at $650,000. Race also requested and received funding to replace Union Elementary School’s hot water heater at $180,000; replace two heat pumps in the central office at $225,000; install science lab hoods at MVHS for $42,000 and provide $57,000 toward the project management and design  of the MVHS septic system.

Race expects $125,000 of the heat pump cost will be returned to the district through state and federal energy efficiency rebate awards, a cost savings identified by EEI. The new roof will be “solar ready,” Race said, for if and when voters approve that expenditure which he also expects will save RSU 40 money in the long run.

 Industrial Roofing Company, of Lewiston, is conducting the work which should be complete within the next week, Race said via email.