Operations committee recommends applying for grant to replace Klinger Middle School roof, asks for district commitment

A staff member urged the Centennial School District operations committee on Feb. 13 to seek a state or regional grant that would cover 75% of a roof-replacement project for Klinger Middle School and asked the board to commit approximately $412,000 as the district’s share if the district’s application is successful.

The recommendation came during presentations on capital projects. The staff member said, “I would recommend if you could get us consensus of the full board that we do the Klinger Middle School roof, which would we would have to commit to $412,000 in order to do that.” The staff member added that March is the application deadline and the district would need to provide a letter committing to the local match.

Why it matters: the grant would cover roughly three-quarters of the project cost, reducing the district’s upfront capital burden if awarded. Committee members focused on how the estimate was developed, procurement steps and whether district reserve funds could cover the local share.

How the estimate was developed: when asked “How do we come up with the estimated project cost,” a committee member, the staff member said the district hired Tremco to perform full-building assessments and priority lists. The staff member described the Tremco figure as a “worst case scenario” that could be lower once roofing materials and underlayments are inspected during removal. “They did a full building assessment for me of every one of our schools…so I'm confident that that's gonna be really close to what it costs or less,” the staff member said.

Procurement and budget details: committee members asked whether the district would go to formal request-for-proposal (RFP) bidding and whether the 25% local share is available in reserves. The staff member said the 25% local match is available from this year’s budget reserves and could roll over, noting that if reserves are used the district would not have to add another $412,000 to next year’s budget. Members suggested including “not-to-exceed” language in any board commitment (examples discussed ranged from $412,500 to $500,000) to give procurement bidders clarity.

Scope and phasing: committee members also discussed whether the roof project would address internal ceiling damage above pool areas; staff clarified the proposed work covers the external roof only, not internal ceiling or pool restoration. The staff member said solar-panel work could be phased and that some minor solar installations (for example at the bus garage) could proceed with minimal repairs, while full deployment would depend on roofs being ready.

Next steps: staff asked the committee for a recommendation to move the application forward and said a written board commitment would be required with the grant application. No final board vote on the roof project or a formal commitment was taken at the operations committee meeting; staff said the matter will be taken to the full board for formal action.

Sources and attribution: Quotes and attributions in this article come from participants in the Centennial School District operations committee meeting, Feb. 13, 2026. Speakers and role labels are taken from the meeting transcript and roll call.