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Board approves purchase of leased cooling tower for Grants High School amid HVAC overhaul
Summary
The Grants-Cibola County Schools board voted to buy a leased cooling tower for Grants High School for $113,667.22 to avoid further class disruptions while engineers design a long-term replacement; the board also discussed buying portable heating/cooling units for classrooms.
The Grants-Cibola County Schools Board voted to purchase the district's leased cooling tower used at Grants High School for $113,667.22, a one-time buy the superintendent said would reduce ongoing lease costs while the district pursues a PSFA-funded engineering redesign.
Superintendent Weidner said the district has been leasing a temporary cooling tower for about $17,000 a month and recommended buying the existing unit as an interim measure while a closed-loop replacement system is engineered. "This will get us through the next year to year and a half while we're updating the system," Weidner said during the presentation.
Mr. Jones, the district's director of business and procurement, told the board the portable classroom units the district is considering cost roughly $4,000–$5,000 apiece and could be deployed across campus to avoid missed class days if other systems fail. He described the purchase and extra units as a strategy to maintain instruction while PSFA and engineers finalize a permanent design.
Board members pressed for a clear timeline and for more detailed cost estimates for classroom units. Dr. Guy Archambault urged staff to present a formal, phased plan that lists priorities, timelines and expected costs so staff and stakeholders understand how temporary purchases will phase into the permanent remodel.
Motion details: the purchase motion was moved by Mr. Ortiz and seconded by Mr. Jaramillo; the board recorded the motion as carried by roll call. The board also directed staff to return with formal price quotes for the portable units and a timeline for the planned engineering work.
Why it matters: The district has already lost instructional time because of HVAC failures at Grants High School; buying the leased tower reduces immediate operating expense compared with continued monthly lease payments and allows staff to focus on engineering a longer-term, closed-loop system that PSFA will support.
Next steps: Administration will bring back price quotes for classroom portable units and the board will oversee PSFA-led engineering and subsequent contract procurement for permanent HVAC replacement.
