Wheeler School Board Discusses Long-Term HVAC Maintenance

Long-term maintenance of Wheeler County School’s electronic HVAC systems was discussed at the September 9 meeting of the Wheeler County Board of Education. Interim Superintendent Dr. Quent Floyd informed Board members that Greg Wilcher, Director of Maintenance and Operations, is in the early stages of reaching out to several companies in order to address the issue. Wilcher told the Board that the two-year warranty on some HVAC equipment has expired, but warranties are still in place for some HVAC items. He explained that while upkeep of most features of the school’s HVAC system could be handled internally, maintenance of the high-tech electronic systems requires special expertise. This is the reason school officials want to have a plan in place for the future. The Board agreed for Wilcher to continue his search for HVAC specialists. His recommendations will be considered at a later date. Wilcher noted that between the older school properties (including the Stapleton Gym) and the new building, opened in 2022, there are some 100 HVAC units in use during the school day. He said that 19 units are on the roof of the new building, 39 are located on lower-level classrooms, and 24 other units are located in areas like stairwells. The other units are in the old gymnasium area. Drainage and Sod Issues

Dr. Floyd informed the Board that sod has been laid in the elementary school playground area. “We must wait at least three weeks to ensure the new sod has sufficiently taken root so that when students go out to recess, they will not ruin the sod,” he said.

The sod installation was part of a project to address flooding at the elementary school playground. The Board approved the work at its June 10 session. The project involved removing a portion of the sidewalk, installing a storm drain to connect to the current drainage system, installing a new concrete curb/flume, and replacing a sidewalk for about $16,000. After that work was completed, the sod and irrigation were installed on a sloped portion of the playground to assist with water retention and to prevent further issues with playground mulch washing and covering drains. That portion of the projected cost about $12,500.

Personnel Matters

During the meeting, the Board approved the following personnel changes: Acceptance of resignations from Barbara Wright, custodian and Janie Cahill, WCES counselor. The Board approved the hiring of Lindsay S. Schaffer as a replacement for Cahill.

Hiring of: Lisa Fowler Young and Kinte’ Clements as bus drivers; Stephen Collins as an elementary school resource officer; Lisa Fowler Young as a substitute teacher; and Jeanna Hall as a custodian.

The Board will meet for its next session on Monday, October 7 at 6:30 p.m. in the Board office in Alamo.