Board authorizes up to $900,000 for emergency removal and replacement of fire retardant at East Chapel Hill High

The Chapel Hill‑Carrboro City Schools Board of Education on the night of the special called meeting authorized district staff to enter a not‑to‑exceed $900,000 contract to remove and replace fire‑retardant material in a portion of the East Chapel Hill High roof so that the affected space can be occupied when school starts in 47 days.

Dr. Stewart, a district staff member leading the operations presentation, told the board the roof was identified in the Wilpert Report as a high‑priority need and that phase 1 work began June 15 to cover about 24,000 square feet near the theater, library, Wildcat area and art classrooms. "We have been told by the fire marshals that we cannot occupy the space if we do not remove the fire retardant that is currently there in that section and reapply it," Dr. Stewart said, describing both the safety requirement and the urgency.

District staff said contractors discovered large amounts of original fire‑retardant material (installed when the building was constructed in 1996–97) detaching from the deck during the phase‑1 work. The district sought legal counsel and issued an RFP for informal bidding; Dr. Stewart said legal advice and statutory exceptions allow staff to select and contract with a general contractor and a specialized fire‑retardant installer without returning to the board for a separate vendor award.

Board members asked about costs and durability. Dr. Stewart said the $900,000 request is additional to funds already approved for the roof and covers debris removal, new retardant, ceiling grids and tiles. He gave preliminary comparisons: a spray‑on reapplication was estimated at roughly $300,000–$400,000 (plus labor), while mechanically fastened rigid boards were estimated closer to $600,000–$650,000. "If it fails, there's nothing we can do about it except for reapply it again," David Contreras, a district staff member, said of the spray option, adding that his recommendation — echoed by lead project manager Chuck Williams — was to use rigid boards and reserve spray for limited beam‑patching.

Staff also explained timing differences. Contreras said rigid boards can be installed as soon as the material is available, but spray application cannot begin until after the roof work is complete and then requires about 30 days to cure, which could push remediation into September or October.

On funding, Al, head of the district’s CIP, said the emergency work will be paid from the existing roofing project budget and supplemental deferred‑maintenance reserves; any overage will reduce funds available for other capital projects and is expected to raise the estimated cost of later phases.

A motion to authorize the not‑to‑exceed $900,000 contract was made by Barb (board member) and seconded by Meredith (board member). The board voted in favor and the motion passed. The district will proceed to select contractors under the procurement exceptions described to the board and return with updates on final costs and phase‑by‑phase estimates.

The special called meeting, which had only the emergency roof item on its agenda, adjourned at 06:22.