Caswell County Board approves HVAC control upgrade, authorizes facilities assessment and technical budget shift

The Caswell County Board of Education voted to proceed with a controller and software upgrade for the middle school heating, ventilation and air‑conditioning (HVAC) control system and approved steps to produce a district facilities plan, the board said at its August 2025 meeting.

Board members approved a contractor quote the board recorded in the meeting as $43,662 to upgrade the building‑controls database and supporting software for the middle school. Board discussion centered on compatibility and cybersecurity: an IT staff member said Windows 10 security support will end in October and that the current control system would stop receiving security patches after that date. The superintendent and facilities staff argued the upgrade is necessary to keep HVAC and related systems — thermostats, boilers, chillers and building access used for maintenance diagnostics — supported and secure. A board member moved to approve the expenditure; the motion was seconded and the board approved the purchase (transcript vote tally was not clearly recorded in the meeting audio transcript).

Board members and staff discussed funding. Facilities and central office staff said they have asked the county commissioners to accelerate reimbursement of qualifying capital expenses; the superintendent said the district may purchase the upgrade from capital fund balance and seek later reimbursement if the county approves it. The board asked staff for a prioritized multi‑year facilities plan and to provide clearer documentation of available capital balances before spending additional funds.

The board also unanimously approved a request for qualifications (RFQ) to solicit architectural design and field services to develop the district's facilities plan. The RFQ is intended to produce a non‑biased assessment of building condition and a prioritized 1‑, 3‑ and 5‑year capital plan so the district can apply for grants and plan maintenance work. The board voted 7‑0 to advertise the RFQ.

Separately, the board approved Budget Amendment No. 1, a bookkeeping reclassification that moves a small amount from the district's emergency fund into contingency without changing the overall budget total (the superintendent said the total budget remains unchanged). The board voted unanimously on the amendment.

The board adopted a resolution honoring the life and service of Hazel Lane Ireland Carter, a longtime Caswell County Schools teacher and community member. The resolution was approved by unanimous vote.

The board also acted on routine consent items, agreeing to approve several personnel and program items while pulling student transfer requests for consideration after a planned closed session.

Board Chair and the superintendent said the board would take a short recess and then meet in closed session for personnel matters under North Carolina law.

What the board did not decide: board members repeatedly asked staff to provide a clearer written timeline for when Windows 10 support ends for the existing control system and to confirm exact reimbursement timelines from the county before the district commits additional capital funds beyond the approved expenditure.