BOE considering new cooling system for gym

A new approach on how it cools and heats school gymnasiums has the potential to save the Jackson County School System thousands of dollars from traditional heating and air conditioning systems, according to officials.

The Talmo school would be the first in the district to use such a system instead of standard HVAC units. The proposed system can be typically found in metal warehouses.

Currently, the district uses just fans to cool its school gyms. Some elementary school gyms are warmed by electric heat, while others are heated by gas heat.

Installing a typical HVAC system at NJES would have cost the school system an estimated $90,000, according to a mechanical engineer with Southern A&E the group that handles the districts building projects.

If approved by the BOE next Monday, the project would save the district thousands of dollars because its maintenance crew will install the units at NJES, according to Josh Patton, an employee of the department. The new units could be installed at the school in two to three weeks, he added.

And if that configuration works at NJES, it could be expanded to other school gymnasiums in the district with inadequate cooling such as West Jackson Primary School, Maysville Elementary School, South Jackson Elementary School, Benton Elementary School, West Jackson Intermediate School and West Jackson Middle School.

For those schools, the engineer estimated that installing HVAC units would cost between $65,000 to $120,000 for each school. However, the engineer also said some of the schools may require additional electrical upgrades if HVAC units were installed, which would be another expense.

The heating and cooling system at NJES is just one of several projects that the Jackson County BOE is considering paying for with Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax (SPLOST) revenue.

The board cancelled its regular meeting on Monday because of a school holiday and instead will vote on the proposals during another meeting scheduled for Monday, March 19, at 6 p.m.

One item that the BOE is considering is $300,000 in SPLOST revenue to buy remote response systems for SmartBoards in every school.

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BOE considering new cooling system for gym