State OKs $1.2 Million For Loker School Roof Replacement

WAYLAND, MA — The Massachusetts School Building Authority on Thursday approved a $1.2 million grant for the town of Wayland to help fix the roof at Loker Elementary School.

The Loker School roof is leaking and in need of a full replacement. The total cost of the project will be about $4.3 million, and Wayland residents will likely vote on a debt exclusion for the project on the March ballot and at the spring 2020 Town Meeting.

An affirmative debt exclusion vote would allow Wayland to raise tax revenue on top of the annual Proposition 2-1/2 levy allowance.

The town initially projected that a partial roof repair could be done for about $3.8 million, but costs grew because plans changed to include replacement of the entire roof.

The state funds approved Monday are part of the MSBA's Accelerated Repair Program, which helps pay for major upgrades like new boilers or roof replacements. The MSBA approved a total of about $24.3 million in accelerated repair projects on Thursday for schools in Southborough and Worcester, among others.