Boiler, water heater, doors need replacing

By Ben Rodgers

The Buildings and Grounds Committee learned of some pressing building needs at the July 5 meeting.

High on the list was the main vestibule replacement at the high school.

The existing aluminum storefront framing and doors have deteriorated beyond repair causing unreliable operation and security.

Not only does this allow for excessive condensation and frost during the cold months, but proves a problem for locking the doors.

“You literally close a door at the end of the block of doors and that door pops open,” said Dr. Melanie Oppor, district administrator. “It literally pops.”

The boilers, water heaters and chiller at the elementary school are also in need of replacement.

The boilers are more than 20 years old and continually require service.

Only one of the two water heaters at the school is currently working and the other could fail at any time.

“Those are the priority because we got failing systems and we know only one boiler is consistently working, and one water heater is working,” Oppor said. “We don’t know if that will produce enough water when the children are back in school at full force.”

The chiller is also more than 20 years old and may fail at any time. The idea is to replace this now instead of a more costly replacement after an emergency failure.

Another priority mentioned at the meeting was the variable air volume boxes. There are some outdated ones at the elementary school which can’t be optimized with the new models put in last year.

The estimated cost for the VAV boxes is $235,441, $469,941 for the boiler, $69,885 for the water heater, $392,212 for the chiller and $248,666 for the high school doors.

The board committee agreed to table the action until a later date when the budget will be available for buildings and grounds projects.

The committee also learned of progress for leasing a building for the Practical Assessment Exploration System for students with individualized learning plans.

“The idea is you want to get the kids out in the community,” Oppor said. “They’re visible so people will notice their skills. The goal of the transition program is after high school these kids will have found meaningful employment or have post-secondary education plans in place.”

The original plan was to lease the property at 321 S. Bridge St. But after an inspection report the committee will inquire about the property at 407 S. Bridge St.

“When I looked at the inspection report, my honest opinion was there are a number of concerns,” Oppor said.

The district wants to start the program at a downtown location so students will have exposure in the community.

“We want to get them down to the grocery store. We want to get them involved with other businesses in the downtown area,” Oppor said. “We want to have them introduce themselves and shake hands and do the kind of things that will help them get a job.”

Finally, the committee also learned about mats that will be purchased on each sideline for home football games.

The mats will be large enough to cover areas on the sidelines that have poor water drainage.

Head Coach Brad Johnson has been in contact with the head groundskeeper at Ripon College, as they use similar mats.

There was some debate whether to purchase the mats that are held down by steaks or the one that has a chain on the inside the keep it grounded. The district will also have the option of purchasing either mats with their logo on it or a plain one.