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District discusses boilers, split units and state approval for rooftop cooling; engineering work underway
Summary
Board members reviewed major‑maintenance needs including Libby split units (~$180,000) and a Glendo project in planning, discussed contingency plans if boilers fail, and noted that state approval is needed to use major‑maintenance funds for rooftop cooling or changes in system type.
Board members and staff spent a substantial portion of the workshop on facility needs. Speaker 4 asked where boilers, windows and AC repairs appear in the budget; Speaker 5 said Libby split units are included on the list and that the estimated cost was about $180,000. The Glendo project remains in the planning stage and may be scheduled as late as 2027.
Staff emphasized that replacing heating and cooling systems or adding rooftop cooling is constrained by state rules: "we're kinda waiting on the state...they're trying to work on their end to figure out how we can use major maintenance to cover all of that," Speaker 5 said. Board members agreed that changing from boilers to a substantially different heating and cooling system raises accounting and approval issues with the state and could require district cost‑sharing for added cooling.
On contingency planning, Speaker 5 said the main boilers are "on its last legs" but that pumps and minor repairs could keep systems operating short term; staff have placed an engineer on a list to begin design and preplanning work. Several members urged staff to press for a timeline so the work could be completed by next summer if possible.
Next steps: staff will continue engineering work and follow up with the state about allowable major‑maintenance uses and funding; no contract awards or formal appropriation changes were made at the workshop.
