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Superintendent: $1.5 million still needed to finish two HVAC projects after ARP ESSER funds were pulled
Summary
The Knox County superintendent told the board the KCMS and Lincoln Middle High HVAC projects are near completion but need roughly $1.5 million after ARP ESSER funding was withdrawn; the district has applied to KDE to reinstate the money and the board approved several facilities contracts and pay applications.
The Knox County superintendent told the school board the district still needs about $1,500,000 to finish HVAC work at KCMS and Lincoln Middle High after federal ARP ESSER funds tied to those projects were pulled.
"We still like about $1,500,000 to complete both projects," the superintendent said during the monthly report, and added the district has submitted a new application to the Kentucky Department of Education to seek reinstatement of the funding. The superintendent thanked Commissioner Robbie Fletcher and lawmakers who provided letters of support, saying Representative Tom Smith and Senator Stivers had written in support of the district’s request.
Facilities staff provided a timeline of remaining work and short-term steps. The facilities director said owner training with Trane is scheduled May 7, a fire-alarm installation is set for June 9, and asbestos abatement in a gym mechanical room is expected to take about two days. The director described the Girdler site as nearly finished except for some control parts and said track-surface work could be completed within one to two weeks after June 9.
On a series of consent and facilities items (agenda items 6a–6h), the board moved, seconded and approved by voice vote the district’s recommended actions, which staff listed as advertising bids for 2025–26 school-year supplies and services; renewing KEDC membership for 2025–26; awarding a network service agreement with Windstream for fiscal year 2026; advertising KCMS roof bids; approving KCMS change order No. 4; approving KCMS pay application No. 12 with a revised DPO payment schedule; approving Lincoln Middle High pay application No. 9 with a revised DPO payment schedule; and approving the Lincoln Middle High HVAC BG-1 revision as of April 2025.
The board’s approvals were by voice vote with ayes recorded and no roll-call tallies provided in the transcript. Staff said federal action to withdraw ARP ESSER funds has affected several districts with in-progress projects and that the district is pursuing reinstatement rather than halting work.
The superintendent’s memo and facilities update did not include a projected date by which the district expects KDE to rule on the application; staff said the district is continuing to coordinate with vendors and state officials while work proceeds where possible.
Next steps: the district will await KDE’s decision on the reinstatement request and proceed with the scheduled contractor work and pay-application processing as previously approved by the board.
