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Columbia County board members press staff for breakdown of $366,000 SERVPRO invoice after summer mold repairs
Summary
Board members questioned delayed invoices and funding sources after emergency mold and water-damage remediation last summer at multiple Columbia County schools; staff said work was done as emergency repairs and the district is seeking to charge the cost to construction funds or a 1.5 mill account.
Columbia County School Board members on April 8 pressed district staff for an itemized explanation of a roughly $366,000 invoice from SERVPRO for emergency mold- and water-damage remediation performed last summer at multiple district schools.
Board discussion followed a request from a board member to review the figure that appeared on the consent agenda. District staff said the work addressed separate incidents — including significant mold cleanup at Pine Mountain Elementary that was performed under a different contractor — and emergency cleanup at Columbia High School, Lake City Middle School, Summers Elementary and Columbia City caused by failed roof sections or HVAC problems.
The district’s staff member who answered questions said the work had been done last summer after ventilation units malfunctioned at Columbia High School and multiple rooms were closed. “It was a massive situation,” the staff member said, adding work to clean ducts and reopen more than 30 affected rooms was performed on short notice before school started. The staff member said invoices reached central office only recently, which is why the item appeared on the current agenda.
Board member Mickey Peeler asked whether the district had known the likely cost when emergency work was authorized and suggested keeping HVAC units running during summer months to avoid repeat problems. Bill Williams, identified in the meeting as the district’s air-conditioning specialist, and other staff said the district has already contracted a vendor to keep air-conditioning running during the summer to prevent similar failures.
When asked where the $366,000 would be charged, the staff member said, “they're gonna take it out of construction money or out of 1.5 mil, hopefully, so we can get that cost squared away,” and named Lindsay as checking that funding. The board pressed staff for an invoice breakdown; a staff member agreed to provide one.
Board members approved the consent agenda and personnel items by voice vote during the meeting; the motions were carried and recorded as passed on the agenda. No roll-call tallies were recorded in the transcript for these routine approvals.
Why it matters: The exchange highlights questions about procurement and budget transparency after emergency repairs, and signals an administrative change — the district said it will maintain HVAC systems over summer — intended to reduce future emergency costs.
Board direction, next steps: Staff agreed to provide an itemized breakdown of the SERVPRO invoice and to confirm the funding source. Board members requested that staff follow up with particulars for public record and for future budget planning.
