Roof replacements at Princeton High School and Princeton Middle School are on the horizon.
The Princeton Public Schools Board of Education awarded a $4.4 million contract to Safeway Contracting, Inc., which is based in Union, for the work at a meeting October. It was one of eight bidders for the work. The bids ranged from Safeway Contracting Inc.’s low bid of $4.4 million to as much as $9.3 million.
The school board rejected the sole bid for roof replacement and HVAC (heating ventilation and air conditioning) upgrades at the elementary schools because it exceeded the cost estimates for the projects.
The high school and middle school roof replacement projects are part of a $17.5 million bond referendum approved by Princeton voters in 2022. It was billed as a maintenance referendum, with money earmarked for roof and HVAC replacements at all of the schools.
Some of the roofs at the schools were replaced in 1995 and some were replaced in 2004. The new roofs will be solar-ready.
In addition to roof and HVAC replacements, the bond referendum provided money for new siding at three elementary schools and masonry repairs to the tower over the main entrance to Princeton High School. There is money for skylight, fascia and gutter repairs at the Johnson Park School.
The state is picking up 34% of the tab in new debt service, school district officials said. The state will reimburse the school district for 34% of the principle and interest payments that it incurs.
