HINGHAM - At its March 18, 2025 meeting, the Hingham Select Board voted to recommend favorable action on three updated warrant articles—Articles R, QQ, and RR—that would allocate funding for schematic design and feasibility work for the roofs at Hingham High School, Plymouth River Elementary, and South Elementary.
These projects represent the top three capital priorities for Hingham Public Schools, officials said, with the High School roof being the highest priority, followed by Plymouth River and then South Elementary.
"We are thrilled to be moving forward with our MSBA application this week," said Superintendent Katie Roberts, thanking the Select Board and municipal partners for their support throughout the process.
A Two-Track Approach
The town is pursuing a strategy that allows for two potential paths: one with Massachusetts School Building Authority (MSBA) reimbursement and one without. If accepted into the MSBA program later this year, Hingham would follow the state's funding and oversight process. If not, the town would proceed independently.
"If we are not accepted, which we will find out in the late fall, then we will move forward as a town with this project," confirmed Select Board member Liz Klein.
What the Articles Cover
* Article R (Hingham High School Roof): Includes design work for roof replacement as well as rooftop HVAC equipment.
* Article QQ (Plymouth River School Roof): Focuses on the roof alone, where some sections may date back to the 1960s and have required repairs.
* Article RR (South School Roof): Includes feasibility work to determine whether repair or full replacement is needed.
The feasibility studies required by MSBA will also evaluate the roofs' solar readiness.
"Doing this analysis does not necessarily commit us to doing the construction," noted Select Board Chair Joe Fisher. "It's giving us the options."
Funding Details and Timeline
While specific dollar amounts weren't addressed in the meeting, Aisha Oppong, Director of Business and Support Services, indicated that if accepted by MSBA, construction funding would likely come before voters either through a special town meeting after spring of 2026 or spring of 2027.
Oversight Questions Remain Unresolved
A separate article—Article VV—would expand the responsibilities of the 2017 School Building Committee to include the roof projects. However, this committee has not yet met to determine whether its members are willing to take on the new work.
Ray Estes, vice chair of the 2017 School Building Committee, noted that the committee was not consulted before being included in the article: "Our committee has not discussed this at all." He raised questions about whether a new committee might be more appropriate, especially since the current committee is wrapping up its work on other projects.
The Select Board decided to postpone voting on Article VV until after the School Building Committee could meet to discuss the matter, with Board member Bill Ramsey emphasizing, "I think we should get it right."
Regardless of which path is taken, school officials emphasized the importance of addressing the aging roofs, with Plymouth River School's roof being described as partly "original to the building" with some portions installed in the 1960s.
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