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Sheldon ISD staff flag failing fume-control system in high school welding lab; vendor estimates ~$193,900
Summary
District staff told trustees the KHS welding lab’s fume-control system was value‑engineered from original plans, interim fixes have not solved the problem, and Lincoln Electric quoted roughly $193,900 for equipment and installation; staff asked trustees to allow a site visit to a comparable school before deciding.
District staff told the SHELDON ISD board during a workshop that the high school’s welding lab has ongoing problems with fumes and dust and that the installed fume‑control system was value‑engineered away from what had been specified in the original plans. The district has tried interim fixes—replacing snorkel arms and increasing filter‑change frequency from monthly to biweekly—but staff said those measures have not eliminated the fumes when all stations are in use.
“Lincoln Electric as of right now are giving us an estimate of $193,000…the equipment is about $85,000 and the installation and their expertise to design and run it would be the total would be $193,900,” staff said when describing the vendor estimate. The presenter told trustees he wanted to visit a smaller high‑school facility to confirm that the system performs at a comparable scale before asking the board to approve the purchase.
Trustees and staff discussed whether the current problems began after value engineering during the CMAR (construction management at‑risk) phase. Staff said larger vocational facilities such as San Jac use industrial‑scale systems and that the district’s current system is sized for only 16 booths, while some comparison schools have many more. The welding teacher, Mr. Jones, was cited as a source of operational detail during the discussion.
No formal motion or vote on procurement was recorded in the transcript. Staff recommended a site visit and additional verification of capacity and performance before committing district funds.
The board moved on to other items; staff said they would return with further information, including a vendor demonstration or site visit report.
