A few clouds. Low 71F. Winds light and variable..
A few clouds. Low 71F. Winds light and variable.
A few clouds. Low 71F. Winds light and variable..
A few clouds. Low 71F. Winds light and variable.
Red Oak Junior-Senior High School
Red Oak Junior-Senior High School
(Red Oak) -- Red Oak school officials will likely need to alter their financial approach to address boiler replacements at the district's Junior-Senior High School building.
That's according to Red Oak School Superintendent Ron Lorenz, who informed the board that the district's maintenance staff and engineers discovered Friday that the boilers in the facility's STEAM wing failed due to improper installation either in 2001 or 2012. Lorenz says the hope initially was to perform one-to-one replacements through ESSER funds. However, he says the issue has gotten more complicated due to the installation issue rooted in the district's piping and heat exchanger.
"We're not going to be able to do that because the boiler system that was used is not consistent with the configuration of the piping that exists," said Lorenz. "Which may explain why two boilers have shot craps in 20 years. Because, these were replaced in 2001 and they were replaced in 2012. 10 years later -- here we are again."
Lorenz says the boilers' lifespans are well under the usual 20-year minimum expectancy. Therefore, he says the engineers, including Justin Veik with ETI Engineering Technology, have recommended purchasing larger, more robust boilers to accommodate the current piping. But, how the district would pay for them will likely need to change.
"The problem that that creates, we had originally estimated $175,000 out of ESSER funds, and we were able to use ESSER funds because of the air quality issues," said Lorenz. "Now if we were to do that same project with the federal Davis Bacon rate with the additional expense, it would cost us $400,000 in ESSER funds, and we don't have that many ESSER funds remaining."
Lorenz says PPEL funds could be an option, but the district has not determined exact funding sources. With trimming out the possible indoor air quality components, Lorenz says the district still faces a $291,000 engineer estimate for the project.
Lorenz says the district's Lead Maintenance Director Adam Wenberg was one of the first to point out the piping issue accelerating the boiler deterioration.
"Adam was the one that pointed out that when you have an aluminum heat exchanger within steel pipes, there's some type of electrolysis, or some type of chemical process that speeds the deterioration of the components," said Lorenz.
Due to a six-to-eight week lead time on the new boilers, Lorenz says the board may need to hold a special meeting over the next week or two to take formal action on the boiler purchase after funding sources, and other details have been worked out before the start of the 2022-23 school year. However, Lorenz adds the boiler installation should be able to be performed if needed while school is in session.
At KMA, we attempt to be accurate in our reporting. If you see a typo or mistake in a story, please contact us by emailing kmaradio@kmaland.com.
Email notifications are only sent once a day, and only if there are new matching items.
Success! An email has been sent to with a link to confirm list signup.
Error! There was an error processing your request.