Receiver Nichols said at the Dec. 17 receivership meeting that the district will accelerate replacement of the aging HVAC at STEM and prepare bids so a new system can be installed over the summer. “We shifted it from year 2 to year 1,” Nichols said, and the district is planning to “invest the $3,000,000 estimated cost that the engineers gave the district into the building.”

District engineer Mike Galante described recent facility work funded in part by ESSER dollars and a roughly $800,000 grant used for environmental repairs and asbestos abatement at other schools. Galante said the receiver and administration are compiling a five‑year capital plan that now lists STEM as a top priority.

Ryan Robinson and operations staff described the immediate technical problem at STEM: multiple temperature zones and failing components in an aging boiler system. Robinson said one of three boilers was consistently operating while the others were unreliable, and staff are deploying morning checks and temporary repairs to keep classrooms warm for students. “There’s right now, there’s three boilers there. One of the boilers is working,” Robinson said, adding that a restored backup unit should sustain the school through winter until the full replacement.

District staff said preventive maintenance will be emphasized going forward and that bids are being prepared so parts and equipment can be ready for the planned summer installation. The receiver characterized STEM’s HVAC as a fiscal priority for a distressed district where work is being triaged by urgency.

The board recorded no detailed timeline for contractor selection beyond the bids-are-being-prepared statement; work is scheduled for installation over the summer so the system is in place before the next school year.