Snow melt, leaky roofs keep Bend-La Pine Schools busy

It’s another roof dilemma for Bend-La Pine Schools: snow melt dripping into a classroom at Bend High School on Thursday.

Water stains on ceiling tiles inside classrooms show the damage, while staff using garbage cans to capture the water in some buildings on campus.

“These roof leaks usually come through holes that are smaller than a pencil that might have been created from ice or activity on the roof when we were removing snow on those roofs,” Executive Director of Facilities Mike Tiller said.

As a result, Bend-La Pine Schools have highlighted 13 schools that are in need of roof repairs.

It was the same leaky situation at Mountain View High School last month, as trash cans were lined up down the hallways and soaked ceiling tiles had fallen.

Tiller said crews quickly fixed the leaks to prevent water from coming into the building.

The safety of students is a top priority for the district, heightened after the gymnasium at Kenwood Elementary School collapsed nearly a month ago, due to wet, heavy snow that accumulated on the roof.

Tiller said crews have been clearing snow since December and were clearing ice dams to make sure drains were working properly.

School officials hopes voters will pass a bond measure in May that can help begin work on fixing roofs in the summer, but major construction on those 13 roofs is expected to begin next year.

A list of the sites and facilities project list, see https://www.bend.k12.or.us/application/files/8714/8598/6524/SF_project_list_final_Exhibit_A.pdf