At the January 12, 2021 School Board Workshop, Director of Facilities and Construction Brian Ragan presented three recently-completed projects, partially funded by the 1/2 cent sales tax.
A roof replacement at Endeavor Academy is necessary due to leakage caused by delamination of the roof membrane. Additional insulation was added to the roof at this time. Other roof features are in the process of repair or replacement due to age. A roof hatch was also installed to facilitate access to the roof from inside the school, rather than using a ladder from the outside. The new roof cost $558,700 funded by the 1/2 cent sales tax. It comes with a 20 year warranty.
The Endeavor Academy was built in 2006, however Ragan stated that the original roof did not have a 20 year warranty.
At Hernando High School, the exterior porch ceilings were originally constructed from gypsum board. Over time, moisture caused gypsum seams to come apart and paint to peel. Recessed lighting concealed transformers, making replacement difficult. The ceilings were replaced with prefinished metal panels, and energy efficient LED lighting fixtures. This $41,817 project was made possible by millage funds.
Power outages have caused disruption to generators at the Transportation Operations Center. The generators are necessary when buses and fueling stations are needed during hurricanes and other disasters, often when there is no power. This additional power is needed for mechanical repairs in addition to fueling and other critical operations. The Facilities department installed a 100 Kilowatt (Kw) and a 30 Kw generator to keep the district’s operations going, and to serve the community during disasters. These are diesel-powered generators expected to run for 2-3 days from a full tank. Using the 1/2 cent sales tax again, this project cost $169,563.71.
Ragan reported a total of 36 current projects in various phases of completion, from planning to phase-out stages. The district is currently spending approximately $8.8 million at area elementary schools, $805,000 in middle schools, $3.8 million in high schools and $506,000 in ancillary sites.