CCSD plans $5.18 million summer HVAC replacements at 37 schools to reduce failures and lost instruction

Clark County School District construction and facilities staff on May 15 outlined a proactive HVAC replacement initiative to address the district’s most critical mechanical failures and reduce classroom disruptions when school resumes in fall 2025.

Assistant Superintendent Brandon McLaughlin and construction coordinator Steven Molina described a plan to replace major HVAC components at 37 schools identified through condition-assessment data, work-order history and failure frequency. The total investment requested is $5,180,000 from excess statutory reserves; staff said that figure covers design, equipment, construction, permits and project oversight. The team reported 37 solicitations and low bids identified, with 24 construction agreements fully procured and the goal to complete work by July 22, 2025.

The initiative will target air-handling units, compressors, chilled-water controllers and building automation components that are past their useful life and prone to failure. Staff said the plan focuses on the top 10 percent of schools with the most pressing HVAC deficiencies out of CCSD’s 374 sites. Four of the 37 schools named — Helen J. Stewart, Roe Elementary, K.O. Knudson Middle School and Hyde Park Middle School — are also in the district’s longer-term school-replacement plan but will still receive critical component replacements where needed.

Staff cited procurement efficiency under Nevada Revised Statutes Chapter 338 (small public-works procedures) to expedite replacements and said they intentionally selected domestic, readily available equipment to reduce lead-time risk. The presentation emphasized energy-efficiency gains from replacing older, inefficient equipment and a reduction in emergency maintenance calls during the start of the school year.

Trustees asked about storage and salvage plans for equipment removed from campuses and the district’s capacity to support summer programs during work. Staff said some salvaged units and parts will be redeployed quickly to other sites, that maintenance yards in each region provide staging capacity, and that the $5.18 million is intended to fund outside mechanical contractors to perform the work over the summer.

Staff acknowledged they could not absolutely guarantee all work will finish by the first day of school but described July 22 as a realistic procurement and construction target and committed to regular status updates to the board.

Next steps: continue procurement and subcontractor coordination, proceed with construction agreements, and provide progress updates to the superintendent and trustees. The funding will be charged to capital (excess statutory reserves) and must meet the district’s capitalization criteria (costs that substantially extend useful life or exceed thresholds).