District 88 OKs new ventilation design

By KREMENA TODOROVA

Journal Staff Writer

NEW ULM -- In a bid to increase efficiency and ward off mold problems similar to those experienced in the past, the District 88 Board of Education on Thursday approved a switch to "dual-duct" heating and ventilation systems at Jefferson, Washington and the Senior High schools.

Unlike traditional systems, the new solution will not tie the level of classroom ventilation to temperature, explained engineer Dave Lindahl of the Institute for Environmental Assessment (IEA), the consultants developing the designs.

Instead, separate censors will measure temperature, humidity and carbon dioxide concentration, kicking the respective systems into gear when needed, Lindahl said. As a result, classrooms "will be receiving good ventilation even at low heating or cooling loads" -- not just when it is very hot or very cold.

Because the amount of ventilation needed in a classroom will be determined by carbon dioxide levels, non-occupied classrooms will not be ventilated, saving resources, Lindahl also said.

Asked by board members about potential drawbacks of this concept, Lindahl said the new solution "takes more ducts and more mechanical equipment" -- which, while resulting in efficiencies later, come with a higher initial price tag.

Engineers are estimating the new systems will cost a combined $7.5 million to install.

This amount would be almost evenly split among the three sites -- but, at approximately $2.3 million, the cost would be slightly lower at Washington. This is because that school's large "crawl space" will accommodate most mechanical equipment, engineers said.

In contrast, Jefferson and the Senior High will require a few more modifications and some new construction. Some equipment at Jefferson will be placed in a classroom, resulting in its loss for instruction. At the High School, corridor space will be used to house equipment, which will lead to the loss of some windows -- and natural light.

With the approval of the concept Thursday, the engineers expect to complete the design stage in mid-October. The final construction documents should be ready by mid-December, and bids should be received by mid-January.

Most work at the elementary schools should be done by the middle of August 2005; most work at the High School should be done by the middle of August 2006, Lindahl and co-presenters explained.

The consultants praised the board for requesting a concept before determining the amount of bonds they intend to issue to fund the improvements.

The presenters said that this approach is "strategic" -- and likely to minimize cost overruns. Usually, school districts determine the amount of bonds, then try to fit an engineering concept into that budget, the presenters said.

In other business, the board:

* approved a three-year contract for environmental management services with the IEA, costing approximately $16,000 in 2005, $16,400 in 2006 and $17,000 in 2007. The board opted for a three, rather than a one, year contract, to lock in the price.

* raised lunch prices for next year by 5 cents across the board, to reflect the changing cost of milk.

* approved new one-year memberships in the Minnesota School Board Association and the Minnesota Rural Education Association. The dues are, respectively, $4,400 and $2,400.

* accepted "with regret" the retirement of Sylvia Aufderheide, who taught English in the district for 35 years, and the resignation of business teacher and girls' hockey coach Todd Nelson, who is moving to a full-time job at Mankato East after a reduction of his New Ulm contract.