Mineral County schools receive grants for upgrades

SUPERIOR/ST. REGIS – Two Mineral County schools were recently awarded the Quality School Project Grant by Governor Steve Bullock, in order to make upgrades to some of the systems and facilities of the schools.

The grants were issued for the schools to improve facilities and develop the opportunities available for students to learn.

The Superior schools were given over $23,500 and plan to use it in the preliminary stages of an upgrade to the heater systems of the three school buildings. The school will work with the McKinstry Innovation Center to determine the best way to handle the project.

At the moment, the school, with McKinstry’s help, has begun a preliminary investment grade audit to determine how much the current systems cost to operate and maintain. The group will look into how best to reduce the school’s carbon emissions and conserve more of the heat from the buildings.

“The whole thrust of the thing is to make Superior schools less expensive, more efficient to cool and heat in the future,” said Scott Kinney, superintendent of the Superior schools.

There has been talk of a proposal to switch the schools to a biomass system of heat. This would reduce reliance on petroleum-based fuels and be better for the environment. Kinney said this would be a big help because, in the past, the schools have spent a fortune on fuel to heat the junior high.

“The two heating units in [the junior high] are circa 1946,” said Kinney. “So there aren’t very many replacement parts…they don’t need to be repaired, because they don’t make them anymore. They need to be replaced.”

The proposed upgrades would help save the district money and allow the schools to function more efficiently. Kinney recalled how one particularly cold winter, the junior high got so cold the heaters could not keep up and it was almost decided to close the school for the day.

The new systems would also save the taxpayers money. Kinney explained how a newer system would reduce the amount of excess heat required and would automatically turn systems down when not in use. This would reduce the cost of the buildings and safe taxpayers from a “tremendous burden” associated with the school’s operation.

“I was asking McKinstry ‘from a taxpayer’s perspective, why wouldn’t you do a project like this,’ and the consensus was, there wasn’t a good reason,” said Kinney. “This is good long term, financially, for everyone. The district obviously, but also for the taxpayers.”

A time frame for the project is still unknown. According to Kinney, the school board has asked McKinstry for the information, but has had the answer delayed multiple times. On Wednesday, December 18, the school board will meet with the representative of McKinstry. Kinney hopes to get a better idea of the time frame then.

According to Kinney, when the plan does get under way, the benefits will be more than worth it.

“It’s money that’s absolutely well spent,” he said. “You’re looking down the road to see how can we make the system better?”

The heart of the project, for the heater upgrades, is still in its infancy. According to Kinney, the initial grant was for the creation of a plan for the upgrade.

After the plan is made, it will be up to the district to approve it and get more grants or other sources of money to cover the execution. This would likely happen over the course of several smaller projects.

The St. Regis School was also presented with money from the Quality School Project Grant. The school received almost $25,000 to perform its own upgrades.

According to Janet Hanson, Superintendent of the St. Regis school district, the money will go towards the installation of new bleachers in the gym, among other projects.

The new bleachers would be up to code with the Americans with Disabilities Act rules for accessibility to people with movement-impairing disabilities

Some of the money will also go towards ADA compliant stage access and additions to the school library’s restrooms. Hanson said early next year, the school would begin to accept bids from contractors for the project. This would be the second time bids have been requested. If all goes well, it is hoped for work on the stage access and restrooms to begin in the summer of 2014.

According to Hanson, the school will hold a community meeting to determine a common vision for the various upgrades. More information on the meeting will be available once a date is set.