Weir HVAC project receives funding approval

NEW CUMBERLAND - The Hancock County Board of Education announced Monday that two of its requests for funding assistance with the Weir High and Weir Middle schools heating and air conditioning project have been approved.

The approval of the Major Improvement Project and Qualified Zone Academy Bond programs will allow the final two phases of the three-phase project to go forward. The School Building Authority provided funding for the first phase of the project, which is scheduled for completion this month.

The board was forced to look into a way to complete the HVAC project without falling short of funds after it received three bids in late June, all of which were approximately $1.5 million over the estimated cost. In early July, the board accepted a bid which sits at just over $5 million from R.A. Finnegan, Inc.

School Superintendent Suzan Smith and Board President Jerry Durante both traveled to Charleston in the summer to present their case to the SBA and request its approval of the MIP and QZAB.

"The competition for that money is really key for the counties," Durante said. "It was very, very important that we could get that so that we could complete that project."

The board will receive $800,000 from the MIP, which provides up to $1 million for any school maintenance or construction project.

Smith stated that the funding from the MIP should be available in approximately two weeks.

A QZAB allows schools to save up to 50 percent on the costs of their projects, because the federal government covers the interest costs of the loan. The interest is paid as a tax credit, in lieu of cash, to the banks which hold the bonds.

The QZAB will provide $600,000 for the project, for a grand total of $1.4 million in funding assistance from both programs. The SBA provided approximately $4 million for the project.

Smith stated previously that any funding from the MIP and QZAB not used in the Weir HVAC project will go toward the upcoming Oak Glen High School air conditioning project.

In other business, Smith stated that there were no findings in the preliminary audit report for the previous fiscal year, which ended June 30.

"This year we had no findings, and I think that speaks very, very highly of Mr. (Joe) Campinelli and his office," Smith said.

Campinelli is the central school board office treasurer.

The board announced that Carol Dight, a kindergarten teacher at A.T. Allison Elementary School in Chester, has been chosen as Patriotic Teacher of the Year for the VFW district.

"We are very pleased that she has accomplished that," Smith said.

Dight will now be competing at the state level for the title.

"She's one of the ones who goes above and beyond what is asked of her," board member Laura Greathouse said.

With more winter weather like Sunday's icy roads looming, Smith announced that Hancock County Schools will be following the same procedures as last year to announce school closings and delays.

Smith added that early dismissals from school because of inclement weather will be a last resort, in light of the board's concern that parents may not be home during the school day.

"We certainly don't want students to go home and not be able to get into the home and to be unsupervised," Smith said.

Smith also stated that the salt shortage of last year is no longer an issue, as the price of salt per ton is significantly lower.

"Last year we had to pay I think $140 for one ton of salt," she said. "This year we'll be getting 140 tons for $80 per ton."

Smith stated that there are still approximately 10 tons of salt left over from last winter.

(Matsick can be contacted at jmatsick@reviewonline.com)