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School board debates timing and costs for gym HVAC and window change orders
Summary
The Fairbanks Local School Board spent the bulk of its meeting weighing whether to order HVAC units and approve window replacements now — which could trigger multi-week gym shutdowns this summer — or defer installation to summer 2027 to limit disruption, while staff warned lead times and revised designs increased costs.
The Fairbanks Local School Board spent a long segment of its April meeting discussing proposed change orders to replace aging HVAC units and to replace windows in the high school competition gym, a package staff said will require significant shutdowns and carries higher costs than earlier estimates.
Board members were presented with a timeline and a procurement deadline: windows for the high school gym must be ordered by May 4 if the district wants delivery in time to complete summer installation and refinishing before the fall season. Staff explained that extended lead times for the HVAC units mean the equipment may not arrive until 2027; the district could order and store units now to lock current-year pricing, or delay purchasing and risk higher future prices or losing the delivery slot.
Facilities staff described design changes that increased cost and complexity. Replacing the middle school units required moving from a plug-and-play wall replacement to roof-mounted units with additional steel supports, upgraded ductwork and electrical work to meet current codes. The board was given line-item figures that include a HVAC subcontract amount of $311,352, electrical work cited at $53,940, and contingencies and owner allowances that together produced cited project totals in the mid-six-figure range.
Board members pressed staff on the practical impact: the plan as presented would close a gym for roughly five weeks to complete window and related work, with additional installation work for HVAC components possibly occurring in a later window that could lengthen the total disruption to multiple summers. One member said they were uncomfortable approving work that could result in two consecutive summers of limited gym access and preferred to complete all major work in a single summer to minimize repeated disruption to athletics and community use.
Staff responded that coordinating window replacement and HVAC prep work is intended to avoid separate shutdowns and that, because of equipment lead times and revised installation needs, ordering now is being recommended to secure pricing and placement on supplier schedules. The superintendent told the board staff could seek more specific scheduling and phasing details and recommended collecting board questions for a potential special meeting to vote on change orders if the board wished to act before the ordering deadline.
After extended discussion about sequencing, contingency planning, budget impact and scheduling around summer programs, the board did not commit to a final change-order vote that night and directed staff to return with additional information. The district noted that if the board chose to wait, the gyms would remain open for summer use this year but the procurement and installation timeline could push significant installation work into 2027.
Next steps: staff will collect specific questions from board members, provide more detailed scheduling and cost breakdowns, and the board discussed holding a special meeting to decide on the window order if they want to meet the May 4 procurement timing.
