EPS school board OKs roof repairs across district

March 12-- Mar. 12--ENID, Okla. -- Enid Public Schools Board of Education approved districtwide repairs to nearly 1 million square feet of roofing Monday night.

The estimated cost of such repairs is between $2 million and $4 million, said Sam Robinson, EPS chief financial officer, but insurance will be covering the full cost of repairs.

Hail damage was discovered last fall and reported to the district's insurer, which began its own investigation of EPS sites and found "significant hail damage that requires repair," Robinson said.

The cost of re-roofing the damaged areas would cost between $8 million to $10 million, Robinson said, so the district has opted for a different solution wherein a special material is simply applied over existing roofing.

"I hate to describe it this way ... but it's like applying paint over wood," Robinson said. "It's a product that if you apply it like paint, our roofs will last forever as long as we maintain them and do this."

The process comes with an eight-year warranty, and should continue to work as intended for up to 10 years, he said.

Exact start and finish times for the repairs have not been determined, but Robinson said the goal is to complete them before the start of the next school year.

Prior to approval of roof repairs, Superintendent Darrell Floyd announced he has been nominated to serve on the Oklahoma State Council for Educational Opportunity for Military Children. A primary focus of the council is to make the process of transitioning to a new school easier for children of military families, he said.

Whether or not he's selected, Floyd said the nomination was an honor, and that he would be "happy to serve on the council."

The board also discussed EHS Works, an internship program offered to Enid High School juniors and seniors. The program, first implemented at the start of the fall semester, gives participating students a chance to intern with a local business that aligns with their skills and interests.

Thirty-four students currently are enrolled and 21 businesses are partnered with EHS Works, according to EPS.

Participation in the program fluctuates, but overall has grown steadily, said Doug Stafford, assistant superintendent of secondary education Doug Stafford.

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