Leaky roof postpones basketball games

Published 1:24 pm Friday, January 3, 2020

The stage was set for one of Athens High’s biggest games of the season to this point. The Golden Eagles were ready to take on Muscle Shoals at home in the team’s first area game of the season.

However, heavy rain and roof issues caused a change in plans. School officials were forced to postpone Friday night’s games because the new roof at Athens Arena was leaking and water was dripping onto the basketball floor.

The games were rescheduled for Monday, Jan. 27, at Athens High School.

Athens City Schools Superintendent Trey Holladay said Friday there were “multiple leaks” at the new high school, although none of them were affecting classrooms.

“We know we have multiple leaks in the building, and one of them happens to be at center court,” Holladay said. “I would say we are not only surprised but frustrated at the same time.”

The $60 million building opened in January 2019 and is still under warranty, Holladay said. Baggette Construction, of Priceville, was the general contractor on the building and had subcontracted the roofing to another company. Holladay said Friday he did not know the name of the subcontractor.

Holladay said Baggette Construction was quickly contacted after the leaks were discovered, and the subcontractor was to inspect the roof Friday afternoon.

“The subcontractor has been contacted by the contractor,” Holladay said early Friday afternoon. “We don’t know exactly what the problem is right now, it just came up within the last 24 hours.”

Holladay said the portions of the building that are leaking are those with a mostly flat roof, such as the gymnasium. The classroom portion of the building has a pitched roof and had no issues with leaks, he said.

“The classrooms are fine, it’s just the area where there is either a flat roof or a roof drain problem,” Holladay said. “On those big expanded areas, you can’t put a pitched roof. You can put a barrel roof over the gym areas, but you can’t put a pitched roof or it would be so high it would look terrible and be very expensive.”

Holladay said roof leaks are not an uncommon problem with school systems. He said it is fortunate the school is still under warranty.

“If you ask any superintendent or school board member, roof leaks are the biggest (maintenance) problem we face,” he said. “We have to spend hundreds of thousands of dollars on roof leaks every year. It’s frustrating, yes, but it’s not our first rodeo on it.”