The Morgan County Board of Education got its first look at the preliminary design for the proposed new Priceville High School at a work session Thursday night, and its members left with mixed emotions.

Architect John Godwin’s slide presentation was well received as a whole but objections surfaced when the pitch of the roof came under question.

Kevin Gunnison, construction manager for Volkert Inc., described the roof on the cluster of buildings as having a slope to the outside exterior of less than two percent.

“The slope would be built into the structure and rainwater would run off on the outside exterior,” he pointed out.

“I like the overall design and functionality but not the flat roof,” said 24-year board member Carolyn Wallace. “You’ll regret using a flat or low-slope roof. That’s been my experience with school buildings over all the years I’ve been on the board.”

Board member Jeff McLemore, a former school principal, agreed with Wallace.

“It’s hard to keep a flat or low pitch roof from leaking,” McLemore stated. “That’s something that needs to be considered carefully.”

“We’ve had lots of success with roofs of this design,” Gunnison pointed out. “The labor and materials warranty would be five years with a 20-year warranty on materials.

“Please keep in mind that this is a study model,” Godwin stated. “It’s intended to show the mass of the building and is subject to change as we move forward.

“The administrative staff and teachers have seen the model and are very pleased,” Superintendent Bill Hopkins Jr. stated.

“But the roof is going to leak,” added McLemore.