Superintendent says PSFA rankings will guide HVAC upgrades; district leases temporary cooling tower

Superintendent Weidner told the Grants‑Cibola County Schools board that the district has leased a temporary cooling tower to address hot classrooms at Grants High School while it pursues PSFA assistance for permanent HVAC replacements.

"We are going to replace the heating and air systems at Grama High School because of this ranking," Weidner said, noting the cooling tower was leased from out of state to bridge the gap until PSFA funding can be applied. He said PSFA notified district staff that Grants High is highly ranked on the state's replacement list and that schools ranked at the top may qualify for full replacements or system replacements.

Weidner said the district discussed the PSFA prioritization with Ryan Parks (deputy director) and PSFA program staff; he described Grants High as ranked number 41 on the list and described a multi‑year plan to bring in engineers and complete system replacements over approximately two years with PSFA assistance.

On financing, Weidner reported the district's semiannual bond payment and stated a remaining bond balance of $1,151,255.62. Board members and staff also discussed teacher housing: PSFA offers a pilot program for teacher housing that could fund new units if the district contributes roughly 25% and the state covers the remaining 75% of project costs.

Board members requested follow‑up reports, including detailed PSFA documentation and engineering timelines, and asked staff to include facility‑master‑plan discussion as a future agenda item.