With Marblehead High School students set to return Monday, Aug. 31, the school’s long-awaited roof and HVAC project is nearing completion, and school officials say the remaining work will not interfere with the start of classes.
The project has included installation of a new roof membrane, replacement of wet insulation and new HVAC units, along with interior restoration work in areas affected by the construction.
The town authorized approximately $13.8 million in borrowing for the project, including $8.6 million approved by voters in a debt exclusion last year. The general construction contract with Homer Contracting came in at $8.97 million — about $2.1 million below the estimate. The total project cost, including design, project management and other expenses, had been projected at roughly $12 million.
The $8.6 million debt exclusion for the roof and HVAC work passed overwhelmingly in the June 2025 town election, with 73.8% of voters supporting it. That funding supplemented money previously approved for the roof project.
School Committee member Henry Gwazda said most of the work is now complete, with crews focusing this week on final HVAC connections, ceiling and finish work, fire alarm testing and roof-drain testing.
“The repairs shouldn’t extend beyond September, and won’t have any impact on teaching and learning,” Gwazda said. “The work in September is installing roof walkways and calibrating HVAC equipment.”
Classrooms and common areas are also being thoroughly cleaned as crews finish their work in preparation for students and staff.
Some work will continue after the school year begins, including balancing the HVAC system and installing walkway mats on the roof. School officials say that work can be completed without disrupting classes or other school activities.
The project represents the culmination of years of efforts to address the high school’s leaking roof. Town Meeting initially approved $5.3 million for the work in 2022, but the project did not move forward at the time. As the roof continued to deteriorate, the scope expanded to include replacement of aging rooftop HVAC units. By late 2024, officials estimated the full project could cost nearly $14 million.
Gwazda said the project is now on track financially, although final figures are not yet available.
“I don’t have the final numbers yet on the budget, but our contract came in under budget and we only had a few minor additional expenses, mostly related to replacing ceiling tiles, which we heard from the community was a concern,” Gwazda said. “I fully expect the project to come in under budget.”
The ceiling tiles had been among the interior issues associated with the roof work. Their replacement was added in response to concerns raised by community members.
The construction schedule called for the bulk of the work to be completed during the nine-week summer break. Earlier this year, project officials had set an Oct. 12 deadline for completion of all contract work, including final testing, balancing, punch-list repairs and project closeout.
