SPRINGFIELD SCHOOLS Board takes steps to repair roof before the start of classes

By VIRGINIA ROSS
VINDICATOR CORESPONDENT
NEW MIDDLETOWN -- Springfield School Board of Education is considering calling an emergency meeting by early next month to look at hiring a company to repair the leaks in the intermediate school roof.
School administrators told school board members at a recent meeting that they would like to see the roof repaired before students return to school Sept. 8.
Earlier this summer, after it was discovered the roof was leaking, the school district hired architect Dave Kiraly of Canfield to look at the problem. Kiraly estimated the work would cost around $45,000.
That money is to be taken from the school district's general fund.
"This is something we didn't anticipate and we really have nowhere else to take the money from," said Ed Sobnosky, district treasurer. "We would really like, if at all possible, to see the work finished before the students come back to school."
The district plans to advertise for bids and open them on Aug. 4. The board would then schedule an emergency meeting to vote to accept those bids and, if the bids are OK, hire a company to complete the work.
Administrators said there likely will be no other action taken at that emergency session. The intermediate school was built in 1991, and there have been no repairs made to the roof to date.