Select Board Defers School Roof and HVAC Votes, Seeks Backup on $3.3 Million Estimate

HINGHAM -- March 13, 2025, Hingham Select Board delays vote on five school capital warrant articles, seeking documentation for a $3.3 million high school roof and HVAC design estimate. The board held a remote joint session Thursday with School Committee Chair Ness Sandberg, Superintendent Katie Roberts, and finance official Aisha Patel, who presented a plan to pursue Massachusetts School Building Authority Accelerated Repair Program funding for roof replacements at Hingham High School, Plymouth River School, and South School. The MSBA application, due March 21, covers schematic design costs of $3.3 million for the high school, $370,000 for Plymouth River, and $320,000 for South School, along with a proposed $1.2 million extraordinary maintenance account to cover emergency repairs during a construction timeline extending to 2029. Select Board member Bill Ramsey warned the high school roof "will not survive till 2029," and Chair Joe Schrader requested KBA cost backup before any vote. All warrant article votes and the statement of interest authorization were deferred to the board's March 18 meeting.