USD 410 approves new energy system for HES years ago
The Hillsboro Elementary School is getting a new energy system.
At its regular monthly meeting Monday night, the Durham-Hillsboro-Lehigh Board of Education approved the installation of an energy management system that will pay for itself in six years, according to board figures and the opinions of energy experts.
The system uses a computer to regulate the heating and cooling systems of the building. It deals with both electric and gas power.
Last fall, the district was approached by energy company EPM, which is based in Columbia, Mo., about installing an energy system in the HES for a reduced rate.
EPM already installed a similar system in the high school-middle school complex during the summer of 2001. Since then, USD 410 has seen that building's energy costs drop by 23 percent.
Why the reduced rate for the new system? Because EPM's work crews aren't as busy in the winter months, company president Ben Trout said.
At the December BOE meeting, board members decided to pursue the new system. They wanted to hire a consulting engineer and look at financing options.
Monday night, the board learned that the district has contracted with engineer Bill Keeling, who is also based in Columbia. He has advised the district in purchasing the system and bidding out the project.
As required by law, the district did publish a proposal asking for bids on a new system. The only bidders were EPM and the company Johnson Controls, and EPM was the low bidder.
After looking over the bid from EPM, Keeling recommended that the district buy the basic system for $86,207, voltage protection for $2,500, and the monitoring system for $20,928. He advised against buying a five-year service contract for $5,481.
Total cost for the system would be $109,635.
Next, the district had to determine how to finance the amount. They wanted a 10-year loan with an interest rate under five percent.
After soliciting bids from Emprise Bank, Hillsboro State Bank, and Central National Bank, the district received the lowest bid from Central National. CNB offered an interest rate of 4.663 percent, which would put the total cost of the principal and finance charges at $140,376.60.
The district's yearly payment would be $14,027.15.
This new system would pay for itself within 72 months, according to USD 410.
According to engineer Keeling, the district should save $6,500 a year in energy expenses and $16,500 a year in equipment maintenance expenses. All told, Keeling estimates that at that rate, the system would pay for itself in under five years.
EPM's estimate of money saved is even higher.
After hearing the pertinent information, the board unanimously approved motions to hire Keeling as engineer (for a $3,000 fee), obtain financing from CNB, and buy the system from EPM.
EPM crews were set to begin work on the system Tuesday afternoon.
In other school board business:
— Hillsboro schools are gearing up for spelling bee season.
Hillsboro Middle School is holding its spelling bee on Friday, and the elementary school is holding its bee on Tuesday, Jan. 28.
The countywide spelling bee will be held Feb. 12 in Hillsboro. It's for middle school students.
— District supporter Bob Sextro donated $2,500 to the district. $500 of the funds will go toward the HHS band's spring trip, and the rest will be used for scholarship funds.
— Lesli Beery of Marion County Parents as Teachers gave a report on the work her organization is doing in the county.
Parents as Teachers helps parents of children ages 3 and under to help their children develop and grow in the right way. A parent is truly the child's "first teacher," Beery said.
Right now, PAT serves 63 families in the county, she said. They have slots for seven more families. Fifteen families are in Hillsboro.
PAT features once-a-month home visits, group meetings, play groups, and a newsletter celebrating children's milestones.
— Board members spent an hour in executive session discussing teacher evaluations.
In USD 410, new teachers in the district are evaluated every year. After four years in the district, they're only evaluated every three years.
Under current guidelines, a teacher will be considered for tenure after four years. The two teachers up for tenure for the next school year are kindergarten teacher Michelle Faul and family and consumer sciences teacher Karen Call.
The school board still needs to develop a better process for awarding tenure, said Superintendent Gordon Mohn. But that will be an ongoing process — it will never be finalized.
— The company that refinished the floor of the Robert C. Brown gymnasium last summer has offered to return and fix the floor's problems.
Great American Hardwood Floors of Wichita contacted the district before the Christmas break and said that they'd redo the entire floor at no cost — except for the cost of the finish.
But that cost would be minimal, Mohn said, since the district was planning to put on a coat of finish anyway. With the newly resanded floor, the district would be paying for an additional coat or two.
The district would also have to pay to repaint all the artwork on the floor.
Last summer, the flooring company ran into problems when they couldn't get a sander large enough. Sanding was supposed to take three days, Mohn said, and it ended up taking three weeks.
Also, the floor is pulling apart in places where it's uneven, said HHS athletic director Max Heinrichs.
The district could choose to pursue legal action, Mohn said, but the lawyer's fees would probably supersede the fees for artwork and floor finish.
