BY SYDNEY HOOVER
Eudora residents could vote on $10 million in capital improvements for the Eudora School District next year.
The Eudora School Board recently heard a preliminary report from the Willdan Group on mechanical improvements to the three schools in the district. The improvements the group recommended were centered around sustainability and would be focused on the HVAC systems, lighting, plumbing and electric in the district buildings.
“From an infrastructure perspective, you’re really approaching end of life for nearly all your systems at most all of your buildings,” said Doug Riat, Willdan vice president of business development. “So I think it’s good to have this planning exercise, this master planning, to begin to build a framework as to how you address those needs before they become overwhelming.”
The School Board approved a pitch for a new chiller from Lippert Mechanical Services at a regular board meeting Thursday. The board received pitches from five organizations, and Superintendent Steve Splichal said district administration recommended Lippert after extensive review.
Riat recommended replacements to these systems in the schools with improved engineering to allow the systems to last longer before having to replace them again. He estimated most of the improvements would function well for 20 to 25 years. The chiller, he said, was near failure, and was an immediate need.
Board member Samantha Arredondo asked if there is a way to avoid having to replace all of the equipment at the same time again in the future. She said she worried by replacing everything at the same time, it would all need to be replaced around the same time as well.
Riat said while 20 to 25 years from now, the district will have to start replacing some of these systems again, the current board can do proactive planning for future needs by investing in upgrades that will ultimately save the district money.
He said over the next 25 years, the district would save around $5 million in utility costs — an estimated $125,000 to $150,000 a year — because of the upgraded engineering. He said while it will be a large investment at first, it will ultimately pay off.
“I think when you look at the total price tag, and then you look at what you could potentially save, we feel there’s a real value driven approach to what we do,” Riat said.
The Willdan representatives said while all schools have improvements that need to be addressed soon, Eudora Elementary could be a lower priority if the board felt they needed to stretch out the upgrades over time. They said one of the best first steps is to replace all the lighting in the buildings with LED lighting to start saving on electricity costs immediately.
Splichal said there is a lot of work to be done to determine what improvements should be made going forward, but meeting with the Willdan representatives was an important first step. In order to approve the bond, it would go up for a vote among the public, which Riat said he anticipated is still a year away.
Reach reporter Sydney Hoover at eudoratimes@gmail.com.
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