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District outlines pilot, regional service model to fix HVAC controls across Tangipahoa schools
Summary
Maintenance staff described a plan to separate controls vendors from service contractors, run a pilot on controls upgrades at a handful of schools, and split service contracts into North/Central/South regions to reduce single-vendor bottlenecks.
The Tangipahoa Parish School Board heard an update Jan. 7 about a planned restructuring of HVAC controls and service contracts intended to reduce downtime and enable remote diagnostics.
Terry Valeruda (title not listed in transcript) briefed the board on recurring problems with building controls and a proposed approach to split contracting: one firm would supply and maintain the building controls platform while three regional service contractors (North, Central, South) would handle on-site HVAC servicing. Valeruda said the district's aim is to avoid reliance on a single company when multiple failures occur simultaneously and to enable staff to view system status remotely. He described a short-term pilot to install controls at a handful of schools before a broader rollout and said service contractors would perform life-expectancy evaluations to help budget future replacements.
Board members asked whether central-office remote control of HVAC units (used historically to permit after-hours events) would return; Valeruda said the plan would restore that capability and deliver energy savings by preventing prolonged, unnecessary operation. He also detailed a protocol for staff and teachers to report heating problems: contact the supervisor of maintenance and the foreman, and cc his office. Valeruda said portable heaters had been deployed where needed while repairs proceed.
No board action was required at the meeting; Valeruda said staff are developing the pilot and selecting schools, and that contracts are being structured so several local service vendors can be engaged. He also urged the board to encourage IT and career-program students toward HVAC-controls skills because the region has very few specialists capable of configuring modern control systems.
