Governing board approves $150,000 increase to HVAC maintenance contract

The Chandler Unified School District governing board on April 23 approved a $150,000 increase to a district contract for HVAC maintenance, repairs and emergency services, raising the estimated expenditure for the rest of the fiscal year to $750,000.

District staff told the board the contract (State of Arizona Contract CTRO449764) is with EMCOR Services and provides preventive maintenance and on‑call repairs for chillers and other HVAC systems across the district’s schools. The requested $150,000 increase covers a set of identified replacements and a contingency for emergency failures, including a boiler burner replacement at Chandler High School pool (estimated $5,000), a chiller wire‑harness replacement at Fry Elementary (about $40,000), a secondary pump VFD replacement at Jacobson (about $6,000), secondary pump EMS repairs at Rice (about $5,000) and a $94,000 contingency for unplanned emergency repairs.

“Ensuring continued reliability of these systems is essential to maintaining operational efficiency, student and staff comfort and the safety of our learning environment,” a district staff member said while presenting the requested increase. The staff member said the district brings increases to the board when actual or anticipated expenditures exceed the amount previously approved; board approval is required for expenditures above $250,000.

Facilities staff described the district’s broader capital picture, noting that many major HVAC replacements historically have been funded by voter‑approved bonds. Staff said some capital funds remain from the 2019 bond program, but the district also maintains a roughly $14 million reserve for unplanned needs and that routine preventative maintenance must be paid from maintenance and operations funds.

Tom Dunn, a district facilities staff member, reviewed recent incidents and upcoming summer work, including a major HVAC replacement at San Tan K‑8 this summer. He said the district handles about 5.5 million square feet of buildings and prioritizes replacements where needs are greatest. Dunn identified a chiller at Basha Elementary with one operating chiller and a rental in place; staff estimated replacement cost at about $1.2 million and said they are pursuing potential building renewal grant funds through the state School Facilities Division and ADOA.

Board member Patrick Heap moved to approve the contract increase; the motion was seconded by board member Modston and the board approved the increase. Staff said the increase is included within the district’s overall budget for the year and that if less of the contingency is needed the funds will remain unspent.

The board discussed the importance of maintaining capital reserves to respond to unexpected equipment failures and the operational risk when HVAC systems fail during hot weather. Staff noted that preventative maintenance and targeted summer replacements are the district’s primary strategy to limit emergency disruptions when school resumes.

What’s next: The contract increase is effective for the remainder of the fiscal year; staff will proceed with scheduled replacements and use the contingency only for emergency repairs or unanticipated failures.