The cost of doing business can be expensive and cumbersome.
This is true even for the business of education and is why the Greenville Public School District has begun identifying where those most significant costs lie and what can be done to mitigate them.
GPSD associate director of operations Michael Banks presented the board of trustees with a list of district sites in dire need of repair, internal and external improvement, modernization and etc. during Tuesday’s regular meeting.
He also provided a list of other objectives and potential building restructures which included teacher shortages, MDE accountability, safety, security, modernization, energy efficiency and enrollment (growth vs. decline).
Dating back to a regular meeting over the summer, Banks informed the board of trustees of both Greenville High and T.L. Weston campuses needing boiler and HVAC replacements.
Solomon Alternative is in need of a boiler replacement as well.
According to Banks’ presentation, work to be done at the Greenville High campus alone, comes to an estimated total cost of $2.6 million.
In addition to the boiler HVAC replacements ($2,100,000), that work includes asbestos abatement ($300,000) and roof removal and replacement ($1.5 million).
Work to be done at the Weston Middle School campus is estimated to cost $2.2 million total and also includes asbestos abatement ($100,000) and roof removal and replacement ($2,100,000).
An estimated total cost of $5,850,000 is anticipated for work to be done at the Solomon Alternative campus as Banks’ listed asbestos abatement ($100,000), roof removal and replacement ($400,000) and installation of new HVAC systems ($5,000,000) as work to be done.
The estimated costs for installation of HVAC systems and related work includes the cost of labor and materials.
Work to be done at the Matty Akin elementary campus includes the replacement of “faulty” A/C units, canopy and roof replacement and block windows replacement at an estimated total cost of $3.9 million.
Stern Elementary also needs work to be done at an estimated total cost of $2,330,000 which includes replacing condensing units for A/C, replacing windows and doors, appraisal of structural concerns and structural repairs.
Summarily, every GPSD campus building has at least one major structural or HVAC-related concern that needs to be addressed.
Banks also compiled a list of those campuses requiring roof, HVAC and window replacement by quantity and in order of priority.
Another glaring concern of board members and administrators as indicated by Banks was the decline of student enrollment.
“We’re looking at major repair costs for a population of students that’s dwindling and we have all of these buildings,” trustee Emanuel Edmond said. “I’ve toured the schools and they are in deplorable condition.”
He also noted an observation he made during a tour of the schools that Matty Akin Elementary has deteriorated significantly and the foundation of Stern Elementary has in essence, broken.
Superintendent Debra Dace said she knows there will be hard decisions as it pertains to bringing the campus buildings up to standard and accommodating students and therefore, wanted to propose some potentially viable options.
In Banks’ presentation, it was proposed that Akin and Stern elementary students attend the Solomon campus once the building was “ready” and that those campuses be repurposed to have available for an outside entity (Daycare, Head Start, etc.) use.
Ella Darling was also proposed as a building that could be repurposed to have available for outside entity use.
Manning was proposed as a possible “restart center” to be used for GED training or as an expectant mothers location.
As it pertains to the Armstrong Elementary campus, it was proposed that the building be brought up to modern standards through the use of solar energy, lights, improved restrooms and gymnasium.
In addition, security issues and concerns for Armstrong would be addressed.
The same proposal was made for all other GPSD school buildings and the Greenville Technical Center with the exception of security issues and concerns being addressed and roofing repairs as needed for Weddington.
Dace informed the board that she and her administration have explored numerous funding options and are in the meantime, trying to make all of the necessary minor repairs with help from the district’s maintenance department.
“We want our kids and teachers to love the place that they’re in at least eight hours a day,” she said.
The top funding options as presented to the board were general obligation bonds, three-mill note, capital lease/purchase and an energy efficiency lease.
Dace highlighted the energy efficiency lease saying, “With this option, we’re looking at possibly no upfront cost.”
She directed the board members’ attention to a preliminary assessment report prepared by Integrity Energy which showed some of the lighting conditions in the various GPSD buildings and explained the lease would focus on lighting, existing controls and windows.
As outlined in Banks’ presentation, disadvantages to the energy efficiency lease could be that there is no tax levy available to repay, the interest rate is higher than notes or bonds and leased assets do not figure into the balance sheet.
Banks proceeded to outline the advantages and disadvantages of the other funding options.
Trustee Shirley Cartlidge commended Banks for what she said was a very thorough presentation.
The board was of the general consensus that no immediate action needed to be taken on the matter as it would consider all of the information presented.
