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Ned Smith lays out Perry Local's capital plan, flags aging systems and grant opportunities
Summary
District facilities presenter Ned Smith told the board the capital plan prioritizes safety, mechanical upgrades and energy efficiency, noting LED upgrades yielded about $1.2 million in initial savings and a projected $116,000 in annual energy savings; he also described an obsolescent West Campus security system and a roof membrane that remains largely intact.
Ned Smith, the district's facilities presenter, told the Perry Local School District Board of Education that safety remains the district's "number 1 priority" as he walked members through a multi-year capital improvement plan.
Smith reviewed recent completed work and upcoming needs, describing upgrades to the district's PA system and elevators, a central-plant chiller overhaul completed in spring that cost $114,000 to rebuild (avoiding an estimated $1,000,000 replacement), and continued investments in building-automation systems. "Everything we do in maintenance operations is for the safety of the students, staff and community members," Smith said.
The presentation highlighted past energy-efficiency measures, including LED conversions implemented over multiple years, which Smith said produced initial savings of $1,200,000 and a projected annual energy-cost reduction of about $116,000. He said the district is pursuing additional grant opportunities and has discussed a potential 1-for-1 match with the Ohio Department of Development that would require a minimum qualifying project cost of $250,000 (a one-to-one match would therefore scale to at least a $500,000 total project).
Smith also described recent testing of roof membrane samples: "The roof membrane when it was installed was 45 mils. I'm happy to report it's still at 44 mils and it's still pliable," he said, adding that membranes are inspected and serviced on a recurring schedule and monitored for winter-related problems.
On security and longevity issues, Smith said the West Campus fire/security system is obsolete after more than three decades: "The controllers are obsolete. The panels are becoming obsolete," he said, recommending replacement of initiating devices, network cards and primary panels for affected buildings. Athletic-surface repairs, scoreboard and sound-system replacements, and targeted painting and carpet rotation were listed as planned projects in the near term.
Board members asked technical follow-ups about causes of roof leaks and repair strategies. Smith replied that many leaks stem from wind-driven snow entering air handlers or from internal hydraulic lines and expansion-contraction cycles during boiler startup, rather than membrane failure in every case. He said the district's predictive maintenance and inspection programs helped catch chiller vibration issues before they became catastrophic, saving significant replacement costs.
The board received the capital plan materials in the meeting packet; Smith said he will continue to provide detailed schedules, pictures of completed work and bid information as projects move toward procurement and implementation.
