VERMILION – After failed bond issues and years of planning, Vermilion Local Schools have approved a contract with Engineered Systems to replace the roof at Vermilion High School, with district officials saying the final price came in far below earlier estimates.
The Board of Education unanimously approved the contract Monday night during its regular meeting, after representatives from Engineered Systems gave a presentation to the board outlining the project, timeline and warranty details.
A long road to replacement
District officials said the roof project has been under discussion since late 2023. Early estimates placed the work at roughly $3.75 million, and later projections ranged from about $3.5 million to more than $5 million, depending on the scope of work and whether the asbestos-containing roof layers would need to be fully removed.
Two bond issues, one in May 2025 and another in November 2025, both failed by roughly a 60-40 margin, forcing the district to find another path forward. Even so, school officials said the roof replacement could not be delayed.
“This high school roof absolutely needed to be completed,” administrators said during the meeting.
Treasurer Justin Klingshirn said the final contract came in at about $1.2 million, well below the earlier figures discussed during the district’s planning process.
Why the price came down
A major reason for the lower cost was the district’s decision to move forward with a plan that leaves the bottom asbestos-containing layer in place and encapsulates it, rather than removing the entire roof system.
District officials said that approach was reviewed by both local and state building officials and determined to be a safe option.
To move the project forward, the district worked through the Ohio School Council, a cooperative purchasing organization that allows school districts to use pre-qualified vendors instead of going through a traditional public bidding process. Administrators said they also checked feedback from other districts before moving ahead with Engineered Systems.
What happens next
District officials said:
- Work is expected to begin shortly after the school year ends, likely in early June.
- The project is expected to take about two months, depending on weather.
- The goal is to have the roof completed before students return for the new school year.
- The new roof will carry a 20-year warranty covering labor and materials.
- Representatives said similar systems have lasted more than 30 years in some cases with limited maintenance.
Officials also said the work will be staged carefully so only the portions that can be replaced the same day are opened up, reducing the risk of weather exposure during construction.