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Powhatan High School HVAC upgrades near substantial completion; smoke-detector installation cost $46,000
Summary
Facilities staff reported HVAC work at Powhatan High School is substantially complete, with new rooftop units, exhaust fans and pumps installed; an unexpected $46,000 charge to install missing smoke detectors was covered from the software budget.
Facilities staff told the Powhatan County School Board that major HVAC work at Powhatan High School is in the final testing phase and that several summer maintenance projects were completed to prepare buildings for the school year.
Tom Solser and Bob Benway described installation of eight new rooftop units, 24 exhaust fans, replaced pumps and boiler-room work. Solser said the project has reached substantial completion but that testing and final commissioning remain. He also apologized for an earlier slide error and reviewed routine summer tasks such as floor refinishing, playground maintenance and landscaping.
The board was told an unexpected cost arose when crews discovered some smoke detectors had not been installed during the original construction; the district spent about $46,000 to add detectors and drew the funds from a software budget line that carried unspent funds from academic catch-up programs. Solser also reported replacement of several fan motors and related labor for roughly $36,000 and $10,000 respectively and said crews focused on safety items including sidewalk grinding to address trip hazards.
Other summer work included playground mulch applications (roughly eight yards per elementary site was noted), trimming and tree removal where fungal growth was found, and installing hooks in hallways to reduce tripping hazards caused by storage bins. Solser told the board the access-control system work and building automation controls were nearing completion and that some final fabrication and installation remained.
Board members asked about alternatives to mulch under playgrounds; Solser said rubber tiles are an option but remain more expensive and that the district selected wood chips/mulch as the most cost-effective choice for now. He also confirmed the installed hallway hooks do not interfere with fire drills and safety procedures.
Board members took no formal vote on the facilities update; staff will return with final completion documentation when testing and commissioning are finished.
