Credit: CONTRIBUTED
Credit: CONTRIBUTED
New infrastructure being installed on the high school side of the building, but “those will not start until we get safely through winter, when we won’t need them any more for the rest of the year and we can finish off tying all of the HVAC together once all of the rooms are done,” he added.
The new variable refrigerant flow (VRF) system will be part of a network that provides “better quality and higher efficiency heat,” Scott said.
“It will also be distributed better through the VRF system that allows us to mix it with fresh air from the outside - to make sure we’re getting enough fresh air in the building for kids and staff,” he added.
Work at the high school/junior high accounts for about $16 million of the project, which district officials say is on budget and scheduled to be completed in August.
The project – Phase I of the school district’s master facilities plan – is being funded by a May 2019 voter-approved bond issue to improve buildings that have an average age of more than 90 years, records show.
Work by Danis Construction crews started last summer and have completed nearly all of the work at Harman and Smith schools, Scott said.
Upgrades at those two buildings has included replacing some roofing, installing new boilers and renovating bathrooms. Some internal work will be completed this summer when classes are not in session, he said.
About 70% to 80% of the work is at the junior high/high school, according to Scott. Along with the HVAC system, it will include a new electric transformer, remodeled bathrooms, ceiling replacements with new LED lighting in classrooms and corridors, and some environmental abatement, according to the school district.
A 2004 renovation provided part of the building with updated heating and air conditioning, but the remainder will retrofitted with the VRF system.
OAKWOOD SCHOOLS
The four schools in Phase I of Oakwood City Schools master facilities plan and the year they were built:
•Harman, 1908.
•High school, 1924.
•Smith, 1929.
•Junior high, 1932.
SOURCE: Oakwood City Schools.
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