The first phase of $5 million in projects in Boothbay Region elementary and high schools has been moving along this summer, according to Facilities and Transportation Director Dave Benner.

This summer’s projects only involve BRES. So far, 37 unit ventilators have been removed and await replacement, heating ducts are being cleaned for the first time since installation, and two new boilers are being installed. The projects, mostly overseen by Honeywell, are being worked on by CCB Construction Services of Westbrook.

“We had a list of items we wanted to do this year. Lewis and Malm went through it and set some priorities which included the two entryways for each school, but changing the scope of work is going to change the price.”

Current projects will cost the Community School District just over $3.8 million. Benner is confident they will be done by the start of school, though unit ventilators are back ordered due to a large increase in demand. Preparations can be made so installation will move quickly when the units arrive.

“The other $1.18 million was the project for next year which is all the doors that are getting replaced and rebuilding the main entries to BRHS and BRES.”

This summer, crews will also replace a dishwasher and kettle pot, HVAC units and several transformers, and seal existing and add new insulation boards in the second floor ceiling, replace 35 window panes and two overhead doors, and seal various windows, doors, bulkheads and pipes throughout the building.

Only around half of the 38,000 square feet of second floor ceiling has insulation board, so crews will be installing more throughout with a newer type of board, said Benner. Existing insulation board will be spray-foamed at all the seams and joints with cellulose installed on top; the newer boards have a special tape. Nearly 95% of the second floor will have an American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE) standard of R38, said Benner.

“The gym is about the only roof in here that doesn't get any insulation because it's a flat roof.There’s no void area to do it. I think there's seven inches of fiberboard and different types of material which are original to the rubber roof.”

BRES was slated to have concrete work done on facades of all parapets, but that project will wait until next year due to severely high bids, said Benner. “It’ll cost around $200,000 and that was not in the budget.” However, with changes in the school’s charter, the capital reserve fund might be able to help. The CSD Board of Trustees will soon be putting that project out to bid.

Benner also noted that all of the paving around the schools will need to be done.

“Roads, sidewalks and walkways need to be re-drained and then repaved. I got the paving estimate from Patterson Paving and I want to say it was around $389,000 to do everything. We've broken it up into five projects, so starting next year we'll start picking and choosing what we're going to do.”

In all, Benner said he is happy with the work so far and that weekly meetings with crews continue as everyone discusses the work to date and sets goals for the week ahead.

Said Benner, “Because when you really walk around and you look – this all needs to be redone eventually.”