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Board approves study to compare rooftop HVAC to $20M chiller plant at Bernardo Heights
Summary
Trustees unanimously approved hiring architectural services to evaluate whether installing traditional rooftop or split HVAC units at Bernardo Heights Middle School would be more cost‑effective than the larger chiller plant now scoped to serve that campus and the adjacent high school.
The Poway Unified School District board unanimously approved a contract to hire architectural services to study alternatives to the districtchiller-plant project that would serve Bernardo Heights Middle School and the adjacent high school.
Staff told trustees the evaluation will compare installing traditional rooftop or split HVAC units at Bernardo Heights against completing the currently scoped central chiller plant that would serve both campuses. A presenter said supply-chain and equipment-cost improvements make rooftop units comparatively more attractive than when the chiller option was first scoped.
The study will examine whether disconnecting the middle school from the central chiller and retrofitting individual rooftop units would reduce the scale and cost of the chiller plant serving the high school, allow phasing and in-house maintenance, and limit the impact of any single failure to a few classrooms rather than an entire campus. Staff said the evaluation should be completed in roughly six to seven weeks so the board can review findings in August.
Staff noted the current project was characterized as "over $20 million," with $10 million set aside for the work and about $2 million earmarked for planning and design. The presentation said certificates of participation (a form of general-fund-backed borrowing) were one financing option the district had considered, and that the study could identify downstream savings that would affect debt-service decisions.
Trustees asked about timing, phasing and whether construction could begin next summer; staff said retrofitting rooftop units could be phased while keeping the chiller online until a cutover and that full chiller-plant replacement would require taking equipment offline—likely a summer project. The presentation also noted potential long-term savings in maintenance and utilities if rooftop units proved preferable.
The board voted to approve the study contract, with the motion carrying 5-0. The district will receive the study results before the August board meeting and return to the board with recommended next steps and financing options.
The action is procedural and authorizes an evaluation only; no final construction decision or financing commitment was made at the meeting.
