The Natchitoches Parish School Board approved the winning bid for the NPSB Central Office HVAC system replacement and accompanying improvements.
Around July or August of 2023, 50 percent of the functionality of the HVAC system went out. Massive gaps were discovered between the outside of the building and the rest of the building, which makes the system run inefficiently. The HVAC is a necessary item, but certain aspects of the building will have to be remodeled to make the new system more effective.
The district will not be able to occupy the building come next summer.
The bid from DSW Construction is for $1.38 million.
Of this total $196,000 would have to come from General Fund and the rest will be covered by the ESSER funding. This amount would be spread out over the 2023-24 and 2024-25 school year budgets.
During the work required to install the new HVAC system, walls will be messed up and need retexturing and repainting. The current carpet, of which sections are anywhere from 20-40 years old, will be damaged.
Around 86 percent of the work is mandatory. The main thing not included in the federal funding is the flooring.
The renovation will also address some security issues as far as entrances and office locations. The AC work also triggered the federal law that requires the building be made ADA compliant. There’s no stall in the bathrooms for disabled employees/visitors.
Asbestos remediation (around $10,000) will need to be completed in the bathrooms.
Some Board members expressed concern over approving the money for this project when the Board is still considering the closure of Goldonna.
“I understand optics, but if we get to the next point in how we project ourselves as a district and we get a little bit of criticism I just think that’s the nature of the job and I think this makes logical, rational fiscal sense,” Superintendent Dr. Grant Eloi explained.
The motion to approve the agenda item passed with the following votes:
The plan is to move Central Office staff into the newly constructed IT building until the project is complete. To cut total costs of the project, the district reached out to the Sheriff’s Office and will use trustees to handle the moving of furniture and equipment instead of paying more to a moving company.
DSW estimates the project will run from April until September.
