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District reports mold testing at district office, HVAC and roofing updates and ongoing construction projects
Summary
Facilities staff told trustees about indoor‑air testing at the district office, replacement of dozens of rooftop HVAC units, portable cooling units in classrooms and ongoing construction at several schools including Irmo High and new Dutch Fork Elementary property acquisition.
Facility and operations officials updated the Lexington‑Richland School District Five board on Sept. 8 about indoor‑air testing at the district office, district‑wide HVAC work, roofing repairs and construction progress at multiple schools.
Joe Geary, chief of operations, and a construction presenter (Mr. Knox) said Crossroads Environmental tested two district office work areas after employees observed possible microbial growth. Samples were sent to Hayes Microbial Consulting; the district cleaned the district office and portables and collected post‑remediation samples on Sept. 3. Geary said the district expects lab results on Wednesday following the meeting and will follow recommendations.
Facilities staff reported the district has roughly 53 portable HVAC units in use and has replaced about 45 rooftop units since spring break; older equipment with R‑22 refrigerant and spare‑parts scarcity drove a multi‑year replacement strategy. Staff said aging equipment means several schools’ average HVAC age exceeds a 15‑year life threshold, and they described a multi‑year plan to phase replacements rather than a single, district‑wide overhaul.
The nut graf: District officials said the work is a mix of in‑house effort and contractor installations and emphasized the cost and supply challenges of replacing aging HVAC systems and repairing roofs while maintaining operations.
Trustees asked practical questions about portable‑unit noise in classrooms, how teachers report temperature issues (work orders routed through school custodial staff to facilities), procurement for rentals of portable units and whether new buildings will use equipment serviceable by district staff. Staff said large rooftop replacements typically use external contractors (Trane, Daikin) while smaller units are sometimes serviced by in‑house teams.
On construction, staff showed progress photos from Chapin Intermediate, Irmo High and Dutch Fork Elementary site work. The board approved a purchase contract for 1709 Hollingshed Road in Irmo for $50,000 to support the new Dutch Fork Elementary; the purchase remains contingent on phase‑1 environmental and other due diligence. The board also approved architectural and engineering contracts for Harveston West and Nursery Road elementary wall work (Moseley, Inc.), the Fine Arts Auditorium at Chapin High (Craig, Golden & Davis) and the administrative/professional development building (McMillan Pazden & Smith).
Ending: Facilities staff said roofing warranty work and additional repairs are ongoing, and they will return with lab results from the district‑office microbial testing and with recommended HVAC and capital plans tied to the district’s five‑year planning.
