Greensburg Salem School District has faulty air-conditioning and cooling equipment at the high school and two of its three elementary schools.
The school board is expected at its meeting Wednesday to seek bids to update the most critical units while district administrators have recommended a feasibility study to take a multi-year look at addressing a range of building concerns.
At both Nicely and Metzgar elementary schools, the main chiller units, dating from the late 196os, are out of commission, Superintendent Ken Bissell told the board this week.
At the high school, he said, four air conditioning units are in need of replacement for the band and choral room and technology classroom.
“Two of them have gone completely, and the other ones are just about to go,” he said. “All of the pieces at the high school are things that were working and no longer are.”
He said other units below and behind the auditorium recently were repaired.
“The units that are down and that need replaced should be done immediately,” said board President Jeff Metrosky.
Other board members attending a non-voting discussion meeting agreed. While cooler weather soon will be arriving, member Brian Conway said the board should act promptly to make sure students and staff can work comfortably in the schools next spring.
Bissell began the conversation by suggesting the district seek a consultant for a comprehensive feasibility study of facilities needs. The board will consider seeking proposals for that study on Wednesday.
Projects the board has been considering recently include updating the high school locker rooms and expanding air conditioning at the middle school.
“I think we really need to look strategically at a long-term, multi-year plan of how we’re going to address many of these things in a fiscally responsible manner,” Bissell said. He noted it’s been three decades since any of the district schools underwent a major renovation.
Business Manager Allison Willis said a feasibility study could provide the district guidance on options for timing capital projects and possibly stretching dollars while the recommendations would not be binding on the board.
Board members were concerned about the projected timeline of up to eight months for completing the study. Several members suggested a walk-through of district buildings to get a firsthand look at potential needs.
Data tracking update proposed
On Wednesday, the board also will consider seeking bids for a new student information system, which tracks data on students including grades and attendance records.
James Baker, coordinator of technology integration and student information, recommended a new system to “better visualize student data, so we can make informed decisions.”
He said a new system will “help us to unify our systems, so we’re not working off of multiple different platforms.”
He said a more streamlined system would simplify tasks for district staff, reducing the number of programs they have to access and reducing the time spent on data entry.
