Freetown Select Board Backs Fluid Roof Restoration Over Full Replacement at Elementary School

FREETOWN — July 7, 2025 — Freetown Select Board votes to pursue fluid-applied roof restoration at the elementary school, with $500,000 heading to a July 28 special town meeting. The board voted unanimously Monday to use a polyurea fluid-applied membrane system rather than a conventional replacement on the 25-year-old Freetown Elementary School roof, following a presentation from roofing consultant Rob Verault, who identified roughly 10 percent saturated insulation after an infrared scan. A single-year restoration is estimated at $2.1 million against a $3.4 million full replacement, with a comparable 20-year warranty. Town Administrator Deborah Petty warned the window for the lower-cost option is narrowing — if wet insulation exceeds 25 percent saturation, conventional replacement becomes the only option. The board also voted unanimously to call the special town meeting for July 28 at Apponequet Regional High School at 7 p.m., where voters will also consider purchasing a 32-acre parcel on Bullock Road for future municipal use, including a proposed COA and library building, based on an appraisal valuing the land at $2,460,000.