The East Tallahatchie School District is investing more than $7.48 million in a multi-phase project designed to enhance the learning environment for students by helping to ensure they are more comfortable in the classroom.
Of course, that is not the only benefit that will be derived from the district’s ongoing heating, ventilation and air conditioning upgrade, but ETSD Superintendent Johnnie Vick said it is an important byproduct not to be overlooked.
“It makes it more challenging for students to learn when they are not comfortable in the classroom,” he noted. “We want to give our kids the greatest advantage.”
Vick said the HVAC installation currently in progress at all three campuses — Charleston Elementary, Charleston Middle and Charleston High schools — will provide students with the cool air they need during Mississippi’s hot weather months and the warmth they desire when Old Man Winter bears down.
The new Marvair HVAC exterior wall mount units will be far more efficient than the hodgepodge of aging climate control systems presently in use throughout the district, the superintendent added.
Existing HVAC units are inadequate, undependable and too costly to maintain, he said.
Window air conditioners and old boiler-style heating systems that have “partially worked” and “required a whole lot of maintenance,” according to Vick, are being phased out for classroom use as part of the ongoing project.
All of the work is being paid for with federal funds allocated to the district through the American Rescue Plan’s Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief (ESSER) program, the superintendent explained.
The first phase of the work, set to be completed by June 30, will entail installation of new HVAC units in classrooms and other areas situated along the central hallway of the main building on each campus, Vick noted.
That part of the upgrade, totaling $2,481,412, is financed by ESSER II monies and includes $328,311 for architectural services provided by Major Design Studio of Columbus, and $2,153,101 for the HVAC systems and installation, contracted out to Tri-Star Mechanical Contractors of Batesville.
“We recently got ESSER III funds approved by the Mississippi Department of Education and will complete HVAC installation with those funds,” Vick said.
That last leg of the upgrade bears a hefty price tag of $4,999,256.79, which includes $466,138 for architectural services, $3,039,500 for HVAC units and installation, and $1,493,618.79 for new windows.
“This work is greatly needed for the benefit of our students,” said Vick.
