Two local high schools will be getting a more than $24 million HVAC system replacement after eight out of nine Cleveland County Board of Education members voted to approve the projects last week.
Work will begin shortly at Burns and Crest high schools to replace the entire heating, ventilation and air conditioning systems as well as new ceiling tiles, LED lighting and replacing any plumbing connected to the HVAC system.
The cost of the renovations came to $11.92 million at Burns and $12.48 million at Crest with a total price tag of $24.4 million.
Funds will come from the Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief Fund, which is grant funds created in response to the COVID-19 pandemic to address learning loss. A portion of the funds can be used to improve air quality.
Robert Queen, board chair, said mobile units have been set up at both schools and work will proceed during the school year with classrooms rotating to mobile units during the process.
The project is expected to be completed by September of 2024.
Queen said the board commissioned a study of the HVAC systems at all four high schools in 2021.
“Although many repairs and upgrades have been accomplished over the years, most of the HVAC equipment has met or exceeded its useful life,” Queen said. “In the fall of 2021, the Board of Education approved moving forward with design and bidding of HVAC replacements at the four schools.”
Queen said as part of that approval, the board set aside $35 million of the ESSER funds to cover the design and construction.
The project was opened for bids in August and one company — Beam Construction — submitted a bid. It was reopened for bids in September and again, Beam was the only company to bid.
Initially, all four high schools, each of which was built in the 1960s, were slated for attention, but Queen said supply chain issues and increased cost of labor and materials meant the cost would exceed the amount of funding set aside.
He said Cleveland County Schools staff reported that Burns and Crest had the most pressing needs and recommended proceeding with those projects.
“Remaining funds would be used to address the most critical needs at Kings Mountain and Shelby high schools,” Queen said. “We expect to discuss recommendations for Kings Mountain and Shelby high schools at our November operations committee meeting and full board meeting.”
He said as part of a separate contract, all four high schools will receive an air sealing foam project that will close any open gaps to make the buildings more air tight and energy efficient, and windows will be replaced at Burns and Crest to better seal the buildings.
Queen said the board will continue to seek funding through grants and county commissioners to accomplish more repairs and improvements to the schools.
“It’s an exciting time in Cleveland County Schools, especially for Burns and Crest High Schools,” he said. “With new auditoriums already under construction, HVAC replacements, new ceilings and lighting, these two campuses will get a major facelift.”
Rebecca Sitzes can be reached at rsitzes@gannett.com
