Duro-Last's 2025 Project of the Year: Minerva Middle School

By Emma Peterson. 

A closer look at Damschroder Roofing’s award‑winning roof replacement for Minerva Middle School. 

If you head East on highway 30 out of Canton, Ohio, you will eventually find yourself in a warm, idyllic village by the name of Minerva. With a charming small-town atmosphere, this close-knit community is a welcoming and peaceful place. Unfortunately for the local middle school, that peace was disrupted last year when their 20-year-old roof started failing.  

Minerva Middle School, which serves over 400 students in grades 6-8, had been struggling with water intrusion issues in their hallways and cafeteria due to the failing shingle roof. Built in 2004 over a metal deck, polyiso insulation, two-by-fours and sheathing, gaps in the roof were letting wind-driven rain enter the building envelope. Despite their best efforts, repairs were not fixing the problem. Scott Cassidy, curriculum director for Minerva Local School District, explained, “We just wanted something that would last. We’re a small district, and we pride ourselves on making the most of every dollar. We needed a roof that would perform for decades.” 

So, they raised money and opened a public bid for the reroofing project. That’s where Damschroder Roofing of Fremont, Ohio, comes in. The Damschroder team saw this project as an opportunity for value engineering. One of their technical sales representatives, Coy Beckley, shared, “We worked closely with the board to find savings that let them add enhancements, like the standing seam vinyl ribs, to areas they originally couldn’t afford.”  

However, it was far from smooth sailing (or roofing). Not only was the roof an intricate design of steep angles and segmented wings, but when the team got up on the roof they discovered that the original two-by-fours had only been glued in place, requiring the Damschroder team to tear off more of the roof than expected (down to the deck) to fix the problem. 

To make sure everything was done correctly this time, Damschroder worked closely with Duro-Last's Engineering Services. Cameron Null, one of their project managers, explained, “We worked hand in hand with the Engineering Services team to confirm that both assemblies could transition seamlessly. They provided fastening diagrams, spacing requirements and verification that everything met Duro-Last’s high standards for performance and long-term protection.” 

Once the engineering was planned, a crew of eight installers and an on-site superintendent started installing the new assembly, featuring two layers of 2.6-inch Duro-Guard ISO insulation, DEXcell coverboard and a Duro-Tuff 50 mil copper membrane. Additionally, they installed the originally planned vinyl ribs and a snow retention system. The result is a 90,750 square foot roof that delivers long-term performance and peace of mind, backed by Duro-Last's 20-Year NDL Warranty. Looking at the finished project, Scott couldn’t be happier. He shared, “It’s just comforting to know we don’t have to worry every time it rains. We’re proud of how it looks, proud of how it performs, and proud to have worked with a team that truly cared about getting it right.” 

The cherry on top of a job well done for the Damschroder team? Duro-Last chose this incredible project as the 2025 Project of the Year! See it for yourself in their award video: