Board debates payments and state share for multi‑million dollar HVAC project

Superintendent and board members reviewed the status of a district HVAC replacement project that the superintendent said was initially quoted at about $4.5 million and later reduced through alternates. The superintendent said the figure often reported online as $3.3 million represented the state's share, not the project’s full cost. She told the board the state has required an air-quality report and that increased costs since 2021 contributed to the project’s revised pricing.

Board members debated whether previously circulated emails instructing staff not to pay project-related bills should stand. One member raised that the board had already approved the contract and questioned the need to stop payments; another said a subsequent email had directed staff to hold payments. After discussion the board moved to authorize ongoing invoice payments as work proceeds so Cromwell could begin or continue work without repeated stop-start approvals for each invoice. The record shows a motion to resume or continue payments for Cromwell and to allow invoicing as work is performed.

Administrators also described short-term facility work completed by the architect, recent heating failures that required emergency service, and potential overlap between the district’s current maintenance contract and the new system rollout. The board asked administration to confirm invoicing details, payment timing and insurance status, and to provide clearer documentation on bid advertising and procurement timelines.