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In a process that started in 2019, the Grand Coulee Dam School District Board of Directors approved Monday the signing of a contract with consulting engineers to fix the heating and cooling systems in the only part of the old high school still standing for nearly $1.8 million.

The board met Monday night in a Zoom meeting with engineers from McKinstry, in Spokane.

Jack Knudsen told them they hope the work will be completed during the summer, "but there's a good chance it won't."

The old classroom wing of the former high school has been repurposed into the district's CTE building, which has housed pre-school and where the district hopes to launch its Career and Technical Education program.

But the old ventilation system needed to be revamped and brought up to modern standards.

That will be done this year, funded largely with a Small Rural Schools grant.

Superintendent Paul Turner said the current HVAC system in the building is terrible, with half the vents not even working.

The new one will bring in more than fresh ducting. Its Variable Refrigerant Flow (VRF) technology is purported to be far more efficient than old systems. The McKinstry bid predicts a savings on energy for the building of $5,731 a year.

Turner told the board that skepticism about the new tech caused him to dig for more information on VRF before accepting the bid, but he was now satisfied because the company that does repair work on the school systems said VRF, which can heat a cold end of the building while cooling a hotter end, is the up-and-coming standard.

The work will also include classrooms on either side of the stage area in the gym, plus the weight room and another classroom in the lower level.

A new roof for the CTE building is also coming under the contract, Turner said. And flood damage that occurred over the winter will also be tackled, including asbestos abatement. Turner said he hopes the timing will allow that part to be accomplished over spring break.

Knudsen and others in the meeting said it was necessary to get the contract signed now so equipment that requires long lead times for delivery can be ordered as soon as possible, the reason for the board holding a special meeting on Monday.

Although the contract contains estimated schedules, the engineers said the current market is strange when ordering equipment and sometimes requires pushing back timelines.

They hope to get the work done before the end of summer, but might need to shuffle some classes around next fall, they said.

The maximum cost of the project outlined in the contract is $1,795,092, and is guaranteed not to exceed that amount through the use of ESCO services.