Work to stop a decades-old leak above the high school open area and to stem flooding behind the swimming pool were among school district projects completed during the summer, superintendent Michael Byer said this week.
Heger Construction of Skagway put down a new membrane on the roof, a project costing $31,373. The source of the leak has never been pinpointed and the roof there is interrupted by a penthouse room that holds heating and ventilation equipment.
The work included repairing a parapet wall. Interim public facilities director Brian Lemcke said the manufacturer of the membrane will make an inspection to ensure it was installed correctly. The leak has been pronounced during windy weather and has eluded previous fixes, including resealing of flashing.
Flooding behind the school’s northeast corner was the target of an $18,800 project that included grading a road there, cutting back banks, adding a catch basin and removing trees from adjoining property. Turner Construction performed the work.
Planning continues on other projects, including a new gym floor, improvements to the vocational education building and pool and school locker rooms.
The school is resubmitting a request for state Department of Education funding of a new heating and ventilation system for the woodshop and auto shop building. A rough, initial estimate of the cost is $270,000 and that’s likely low, said facilities director Lemcke. With state education funding, the borough would have to pay 30 percent of total costs.
Work to make restrooms in the building compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act, and to add new windows and replace the garage door will go to bid this fall. The district has $252,000 for that work.
The school also is seeking state funds for rebuilding the gym and swimming pool locker rooms. Preliminary estimates of work just on the gym locker rooms near $490,000. Ventilation, heating and plumbing work is driving up the cost of the job, which also involves removing walls and fitting in a new weight room.
Byer said replacing the gym floor may wait until next summer. The Alaska Legislature approved $250,000 for the job, but whether that will suffice may depend on reports of asbestos cement below the floor. An engineer’s estimate is expected soon.
The new floor would sit on a metal track, which serves as a kind of spring, allowing the floor to give when weight is applied. Other schools in Southeast are shifting to the new design which cushions joints and may help prevent concussions.
If asbestos issues aren’t an impediment, Byer said he’d like to auction off sections of the existing floor to help recoup costs. The new floor may involve some extra adjustments, as it will sit about 1.5 inches higher than the current one.
Byer said snow brakes were installed on the roof above the school playground, expected to eliminate use of a temporary fence around the ball court below. He said he’s also looking at ways to get more light under the roof.
Indoor gym space is still a concern, especially at midwinter when cheerleading, wrestling, basketball and other activities overlap.
“We’ll see what we can do to increase the Sunday hours this year, but it’s not that that’s so much the problem, as during the week when all the teams want to use it for practices and such,” Byer said. Asked whether the district had funding for Sunday hours, Byer said, “It’s more of a matter of finding personnel who want to be here on Sunday on a regular basis, for a few hours. How can we do that?”