The Dunlap School Board approved replacement of the district's pool filtration system and authorized staff to proceed with contracting up to a not-to-exceed amount of $200,000 to secure timely procurement and installation.
District staff said the existing sand-filter system was originally installed in 1990 and has exceeded its expected life span. Facilities staff told the board the sand has likely never been replaced and that the system's 25-year expected life makes it vulnerable to a longer outage that could take eight to 12 months to remedy if a full permit and a new-system design were required.
Facilities staff described three options: do nothing, replace the existing style of filter with a like-for-like unit (the recommended path), or install an entirely new filtration system that would trigger a longer health-permitting process and could take many months. Staff said a like-for-like replacement could be completed in roughly two weeks of downtime once equipment arrives, while installing a new-design system could take eight to 12 months given state review timelines.
Board members discussed whether to delay the replacement while exploring a longer-term referendum for a new pool. Superintendent Dr. Dearman and facilities staff noted that a referendum, even if successful, would likely put a new pool two years or more into the future and would not prevent a near-term failure that could sideline aquatic programs for months. One board member asked whether the replacement could be funded from bond proceeds if the district had excess funds; staff replied that the pool could potentially be included in bond-funded work if bond proceeds remain after school construction scope is finalized.
A motion to approve the pool filtration system replacement with a not-to-exceed figure (presented in staff materials as approximately $185,900 and memorialized in the motion as a $200,000 not-to-exceed authorization) passed on roll call after discussion; one board member voted no during the roll call. Staff said they would solicit bids as appropriate and aim to minimize downtime for swim programs.