School board approves $653,000 design amendment to address Winding Waters chiller, advance 30-classroom addition

The Hernando County School Board on Feb. 25, 2025, approved an amendment to a construction agreement authorizing $653,000 to design and administer work to reconfigure the central chiller plant that serves Winding Waters K‑8 and Weeki Wachee High School and to allow a planned 30‑classroom addition to proceed.

The amendment, described by district facilities staff as a design and construction‑administration package, was presented as necessary because an engineering commissioning report found the existing ice‑plant chiller system is not operating at design capacity and contains several failed compressor circuits. The report, prepared by SGM Engineering and summarized to the board, recommended removing the complex ice‑plant system and replacing it with simpler air‑cooled chillers; staff estimated that replacement cost at about $10 million and a repair to restore original capacity at about $7.98 million. Board members were told the $653,000 would pay for schematic design, roof work at the chiller building and construction administration; the district said the original proposal had been about $850,000 and had been negotiated down.

Why it matters: the chiller serving both campuses is roughly 15 years old—past the commonly cited expected life span for that equipment—and staff warned the system may not provide adequate cooling on hot days. The chiller issue intersects with the district’s larger facilities plan, which includes a 30‑classroom building the district says is needed for projected growth on the Winding Waters/Weeki Wachee campus. Board members debated whether to proceed with the amendment now or pause to consider…