<p>Lowry</p>

Lowry

<p>DeFreece</p>

DeFreece

LUMBERTON — Roofing repairs for schools, including Shining Stars Preschool, will be a topic of discussion at the Dec. 8 county school board meeting when its Finance and Construction committees present a maintenance plan of action.

The committees Tuesday approved presenting to the full Board of Education for its consideration a plan to spend $1,419,650 for roofing repairs at 12 schools and placing five new mobile units at R.B. Dean-Townsend Elementary School. Price quotes for the repair of roofs at Purnell Swett High School and East Robeson Primary School will be added to that number and presented during the Dec. 8 meeting.

The Public Schools of Robeson County has $500,000 in the budget to help cover the cost, said Erica Setzer, the district’s chief Finance officer.

Roofs at Shining Stars Preschool and St. Pauls Elementary School are a priority, said Earney Hammonds, director of Maintenance at PSRC.

A recent invoice for mold treatment at the preschool was $12,919, he said. The leaky roof contributed to the mold problem.

The building, which is owned by the county and leased by the school system, needs about $331,000 worth of repairs. The county anticipates receiving money from the Federal Emergency Management Agency to help bring the district’s cost down to an estimated $185,000, said Craig Lowry, school board chairman.

The lease agreement states that similar repairs would be split evenly between the county and school system, he said. That would leave PSRC paying about $90,000.

Interim Superintendent Loistine DeFreece said the decision to pay for repairs should be contingent on ownership of the preschool building.

“From my understanding there’s an excellent chance of them giving us the building,” DeFreece said. “They need to know if we are willing to pay half.”

“All of that has to be clarified, put in writing, legally done …,” Lowry said.

The school board chairman and interim superintendent plan to call the county Wednesday to get more information that can be presented Dec. 8 to the full school board, Lowry said.

St. Pauls Elementary School also has racked up $15,891 in mold removal costs because of leaks, Hammonds said. It will cost the district $153,700 to repair the roof.

Committee members also discussed paying $440,950 for five mobile units to be placed at R.B. Dean-Townsend Elementary School.

“My recommendation would be that we go for the new units for Townsend for $440,950,” board member Brenda Fairley-Ferebee said.

“I’m looking at the longevity for what we gotta do,” she added.

Even with the purchase, the installation project could take more time, Hammonds said.

“Right now we’re short on electricians,” Hammonds said.

But, the school system has spent “a fortune” moving units in the past, he said.

“If you could recap all that money, you could build some nice schools,” the maintenance director said.

The committees will meet at a later date, which was not set, to discuss concerns related to the weight room at Purnell Swett High School, the addition of athletics buildings and repairs to high school tracks.

The weight room at Purnell Swett has pins that hold weights on racks that have been welded many times as a repair measure, and could pose safety risks for students.

Vonta Leach hopes to explore the option of building metal buildings and buying new equipment for athletic training rooms at St. Pauls and Purnell Swett high schools.

Hammonds said he would look into pricing and speak with the state Department of Public Instruction.

Reach Jessica Horne at 910-416-5165 or via email at [email protected].