Harvard CUSD 50 Board of Education Approves New HVAC at Washington School
Washington School is the third oldest building in Harvard Community Unit School District 50. Since its construction in 1954, Washington has been home to various grade levels and thousands of students, and like any older building, with history and character comes old systems in need of an update.
Enacted as a part of the American Rescue Plan in March 2021, the Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief Grant (ESSER) provided nearly $122 billion to states and school districts to help reopen facilities, sustain safe operations, and address the impact of the coronavirus pandemic on the nation’s students.
Of the top priorities when the Harvard CUSD 50 Board of Education began discussing ESSER funds was the environment at Washington School.
“It’s the perfect opportunity to do a project like this with ESSER funds that the district has received because one of the approved uses of these funds is to address air quality in school buildings,” said Board President Mindy Shafer. “Washington School is currently the only school in the district that does not have air conditioning. This project will increase classroom ventilation and bring cooling to the school that will allow for better temperature and humidity control.”
At the Board Meeting on September 15, Vice President Sandra Theriault made a motion, seconded by Board Member Roger Wilhoit, to approve a Wold Architects and Engineers proposal for the HVAC System. It was agreed that $81,345 plus reimbursable expenses would be used toward design fees and schematics for the HVAC improvements.
The approval of design fees allows Wold to seek bids for the project this winter. He added that the bid process is crucial, as the project will cost more than one million dollars. The project is scheduled to be completed during the Summer of 2022.
English PDF Copy Here
Spanish PDF Copy Here