ST. MARYS — St. Marys Area School District board members reviewed a facility presentation by McClure Company, detailing several project possibilities within the district.
Superintendent Harley Ramsey said they are looking at a “multi-year phased project in order to bring our facilities up to current standards.”
The renovation plan addresses “all (district) buildings over multiple years, (and is) focused on infrastructure replacements and capital generation.”
A slideshow during the board’s Monday night meeting entailed McClure’s “facility presentation and GESA (Guaranteed Energy Savings Act) introduction, beginning with what “phase one” upgrades to Fox and South St. Marys Street elementary schools would entail:
South: LED lighting systems, central heating plant upgrades, HVAC (Heating, Ventilation, Air Conditioning) control upgrades, generator and electric transformer replacements.
Fox Township: LED lighting systems, generator replacement, central heating plant with temperature control integration.
The slideshow noted that South’s last HVAC renovations were done in 2015. The central heating plant equipment is from 1991, and the generator –“beyond its use of life,” in 1992. It also said the electrical transformers are aged.
Fox Township’s central heating plant is from 1994, and needs replaced, as well as the generator system from 1992. In good condition, the last HVAC/control renovations were done in 2017.
The slideshow went on to review the proposed LED lighting systems, generator upgrades for both schools and transformer upgrades for South.
The new high-efficiency transformers would use less energy and “reduce heat load in critical building areas,” according to McClure Company.
The central plant and control systems integration at Fox Township would entail condensing boilers, new “piping, pumps and variable frequency drives,” and combining existing and new building controls.
The proposed HVAC/controls for South would “install a condensing central heating plant; entail plants utilizing high-efficiency pumps and variable frequency drives and integrate building-wide HVAC control systems,” according to the presentation.
Phase one of SMASD’s facility upgrades was presented in two options, project A and project B.
Project A, which excludes the generator replacement at Fox and the generator and transformer replacements at South, would cost a total of $1,979,276, with a net cost of $1,340,523 to the district, according to McClure Company’s calculations. Energy savings for the district over 20 years was estimated at $638,753.
Project B, which includes all of the presented upgrades at Fox and South, would cost a total of $2,613,639, with a net cost of $1,901,645 to the district, according to McClure Company. Energy and operational savings over 20 years would amount to $711,994.
The board approved a “notice to proceed,” which allows the district to move forward with more detailed planning, said Ramsey.
“The scopes of work presented by McClure Company represent a continuum of possibilities. Over the next four weeks, the district will look more closely at which projects are most critical, and within the current capital reserve budget, prior to approving a defined scope of work in February,” Ramsey said.
The next board meeting is 7 p.m. Feb. 13 in the St. Marys Area High School library.
Board members also approved a proposal from KTH Architects of DuBois to redesign the front entrance of St. Marys Area High School.
The project will redesign and improve SMAHS handicap parking and ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act) sidewalk/ramp access needs. These focuses, said Ramsey, are getting to be a safety concern, and need addressed.
The district is hoping for completion by August.
