School board approves Mary Lynch HVAC plan

The Kimball school board approved an HVAC plan for Mary Lynch Elementary School at a special-called meeting last Wednesday.

The board was presented with four different HVAC options for Mary Lynch Elementary School by Specialized Engineering Solutions.

The four options varied in overall cost from $187,920 at the lowest cost to $505,440 at the highest cost. The most expensive option includes the furnace being replaced. Also included in that plan would be direct exchange (DX) cooling coils with remote condensing units or air-to-air heat pumps. This option would also require a complete modification to existing electrical services.

The direct exchange will be used primarily at night during the warmer months and it will pull the hot air from the building out and replace it with the cool air from outside. This would hopefully make the building a more comfortable temperature during the warmer months.

The least expensive option calls for the replacing of the furnace, and some minor electrical modifications in order to install updated control panels to the system.

Pros and cons were listed for the options provided. For the least expensive option, the pros were an inexpensive up-front cost and a 20 percent natural gas savings over existing furnaces. The cons of this plan are that several comfort and control issues will remain, especially when concerning the cooling issues.

When looking at the $500,000 option, the pros are the 20 percent natural gas savings in addition to an increase in comfort level of the building occupants. However, many inherent control issues of the cooling system will remain. Due to the cooling, condensation in the air ducts might prove to be an issue at a later date, causing possible corrosion. Additional insulation would be required where possible.

Due to the advantages of the options being rather similar and the disadvantages being clearly different along with the cost, the board decided to go with the $187,920, option, adding that one room will get the DX cooling installed. If it seems to make a significant difference, the DX cooling will be added to the rest of the rooms at a later date.

The board also accepted the resignations of Mary Lynch Elementary School kindergarten teacher Emily Imel, as well as high school upper level science teacher Andrea Hoopman. Both teachers will complete the current school year.