School officials considering roof replacement at Wilbraham Middle School

O'Shea said he will talk to elected officials in Wilbraham and Hampden before finalizing a project to submit to the state.

Superintendent M. Martin O'Shea presented plans for repairs to schools in the Hampden-Wilbraham Regional School District.The Republican file photo 

WILBRAHAM - The Hampden-Wilbraham Regional School Committee on Tuesday gave its support to School Superintendent M. Martin O’Shea to seek state funding for a school building accelerated repairs project to the Massachusetts School Building Authority.

To compete for state funding for a building renovation project, a single priority project must be submitted by Feb. 14, O’Shea said.

O’Shea said he believes the regional school district’s priority project will be to replace the roof of Wilbraham Middle School.

A second priority project is replacing the windows of the Soule Road School with energy efficient windows, he said.

O’Shea said he believes 50 percent reimbursement will be available from the state if a project qualifies.

“This will be competitive,” O’Shea said. He said there is no cost for “submitting a statement of interest” to the state.

“It would be good to get in the queue,” the superintendent said.

O’Shea said he will talk to elected officials in Wilbraham and Hampden before finalizing the top priority project.

“We’re still prioritizing,” he said.

Also at Tuesday’s School Committee meeting, School Committee member Marc Ducey said that a proposed fiscal 2015 school budget must be approved by March 11 to be considered by the Hampden Town Meeting.

School Committee Chairman Peter Salerno said a subcommittee will be convened to consider long-term plans for Memorial School. The School Committee must give the Wilbraham selectmen a report on its long-term plans for the building, Salerno said.

O’Shea also told the School Committee that a faulty censor caused a fire alarm to go off this month at the new high school on one of the coldest days of the year. Students who had to stand outside were quickly allowed to return to the gymnasium and cafeteria because of the quick response by the Fire Department, O’Shea said.