Committee Finds Leaking at Hoosac Valley High
 Members of the Maintenance Subcommittee check out leaks in one of the classrooms. The roof installers will be expected to repair the problem areas. |
ADAMS, Mass. — Hoosac Valley High School remains in good shape with only a few maintenance issues to report.
After the Maintenance Subcommittee for the Adams-Cheshire Regional School District Committee toured building with janitorial staff, they met with the Building Committee to discuss minor maintenance problems.
"We only had a few small issues for such a large renovation project," Superintendent Kristen Gordon said.
The renovated school, a $40 million project, reopened in September 2012.
One of the main concerns the committee had was leaks in the newly renovated school's roof. There are visible leaks and staining on the ceilings. On the tour, the committee was shown 10 problem areas. The leaks are believed to be both external and internal and many are located around sprinkler and heating systems.
David Hinkell, director of business and finance member, said he thinks many of the problems stem from the changing temperatures and melting snow because much of the leaking had stopped after the snow melted.
"This was a terrible winter and there was a lot of ice and snow build up," Hinkell said.
He said the roof is under warranty and the installation company will visit the school soon to inspect the problem areas.
Another issue the committee found was peeling floor tiles.
Janitorial staff brought the committee to 19 problem areas in the where the linoleum was peeling off the floor.
Hinkell explained that this could be happening because of temperature changes or incorrect installation.
The flooring, too, is under warranty and the installer will visit to inspect the problem areas.
Gordon said the custodial staff is doing a great job cleaning even though there were staff cuts.
"This was a test year in terms of keeping the school up because we did undergo cuts, but the custodian staff are doing a good job," she said.
Gordon also mentioned how the students keep the school clean.
"The kids are treating the school so well," she said. "Sometimes you go into a school and you see graffiti or damage, but we don't have any of that."
Gordon was excited to say the school gets a lot of use not only from the students but the community.
"The good news is that the school is in high use," she said. "No matter what night or weekend you are here, the gyms are being used all the time, the fields are being used, and the auditoriums are being used so the community is certainly using it."
The members of the Maintenance Subcommittee does maintenance tours of all the schools throughout the year so they can be more proactive toward problems.
Tags: building committee, HVHS, maintenance,
