Northeast Elementary, Sycamore Elementary, and Baxter Primary Schools all set to get HVAC improvements this summer.
Deputy Director of Schools Tim Martin said Northeast and Sycamore will be getting new rooftop-mounted A/C units and Baxter Primary will receive a new chiller. Martin said all three schools have recently had HVAC issues that need to be addressed.
“I think most people expect comfort,” Martin said. “They’re not going to want to send their kids into a building that could be ninety-five or a hundred degrees throughout the day or that would be thirty or forty degrees throughout the day.”
Martin said the schools’ HVAC systems get less efficient over time so the upgrades will not only be more reliable, but also perform better on a day-to-day basis and lower utility bills. Martin said the school system is planning to have all of the work done over this upcoming summer.
“We are scrambling because these schools generally have summer programs going on in them,” Martin said. “And so we have to find other places for those summer programs to take place since we obviously don’t want kids to be in there all summer without HVAC.”
The board recently approved three separate agreements totaling some $1.47 million for all three projects. Martin said HVAC work is one of the most expensive things the district does.
“When we get have a chance to do significant upgrades at some of our older schools like this, just makes it easier for us as a whole group, our entire maintenance department,” Martin said. “Not having to focus and spend time trying to keep those older units running will just help us overall as far as the entire district is concerned.”
