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Board outlines HVAC overhaul at Hugh J. Boyd after March referendum
Summary
Following a March 10 referendum to borrow for building upgrades, Board President Dr. Marko described failing electric classroom units, the differences among gas boilers, electric resistance heat and heat pumps, and asked the community for input on design and heat-load analysis for the Hugh J. Boyd project.
Seaside Heights, N.J. — Board President Dr. Marko used his April 30 report to explain why the district will prioritize HVAC upgrades at Hugh J. Boyd after voters approved a borrowing referendum on March 10.
Marko said the building relies on electric heat with many independent classroom units, some of which are failing and for which replacement parts are no longer available. "Daikin has not supported their products just 13 years later is, in my honest opinion, outrageous," he said, describing ad-hoc repairs that included mini-split systems, portable space heaters and hard-wired resistance heaters.
He outlined differences among heating systems: natural-gas boilers burn fuel on site; electric resistance heat converts electricity to heat with higher operational costs; and electric heat pumps transfer heat from a cool source and can be less efficient in climates with large temperature differentials. Marko said proper design should begin with a heat-load analysis to size heating, cooling and humidity control according to windows, insulation, climate and occupancy.
The president said piecemeal repair of failing units would likely cost more over time and that the referendum provides an opportunity to redesign the system correctly. He asked community members who use the building daily to share insights with engineers during the design phase so the system can be tailored to actual needs.
The remarks were made during the president's report; no formal vote on HVAC design occurred at the meeting. The board previously authorized borrowing via the March 10 referendum; the April 30 meeting recorded the board's plans and a request for stakeholder input.
