Geneva D-304 approves $52M capital improvement plan

GENEVA – The carpet and tile in Geneva Middle School North is 16 years old and needs to be replaced.

The Geneva Middle School South gym floor needs to be resurfaced and sealed.

The cabinet unit heaters at Harrison Elementary School are 41 years old and need to be replaced with energy efficient units.

The stairs at Fabyan Elementary School also need to be replaced.

“We have a section of stairs in the back that’s actually separating from the building itself,” Facility Operations Director Scott Ney said at the Geneva District 304 School Board meeting April 25.

“It was not designed correctly. We have been repairing those where the steps have been cracking causing safety issues. And we’ve been spending $1,000 to $3,000 every year just to fill those in,” Ney said. “We need to replace those correctly so we don’t have to deal with that any further.”

The list goes on and on for a grand total of $52,211,816, Ney said.

The seven-year capital improvement plan is almost $44 million; the higher amount includes an additional $8.432 million in future considerations, documents show.

“I know this is a substantial increase from the project from last year,” Ney said. “There was a lot more items that went into this plan this year with mechanical facilities studies from our engineers and just things failing, with our roofs and more things coming in year eight and nine. So we just need to be forward thinking. Try to look at the critical items that need to be replaced, which the Facilities Task Force has been looking at every single one. … Most of these repairs are critical and need to be done.”

Ney said the money would come from the district’s life safety, capital and general funds.

The board voted unanimously to accept Ney’s plan.

Superintendent Kent Mutchler said that before any spending would be done as listed in the plan, each item would be brought before the board for approval.

Ney’s 57-page facilities capital plan lists items to be repaired or replaced at the district’s 10 schools, the Coultrap Educational Services Center Administration Building and the Keslinger Transportation Facility.

Recommendations include:

• Geneva High School – replacing the roof; heating, ventilating and air conditioning to digital; replace auditorium lighting; replace fraying carpeting and cracked quartz tiles; updating cafeteria and stagecraft bathrooms, which are 47 years old.

• Geneva Middle School North - concrete curbs and sidewalk sections; 16-year-old flooring needs to be replaced; parking lot needs to be seal coated and cracks filled.

• Geneva Middle School South - replacement of ceiling tile grid and tile; concrete sidewalk and curb; carpet and tile.

• Harrison Street Elementary School - replacement of cabinet unit heaters, which are 41 years old; replace or rebuild the air handling unit; replace 23-year-old boilers and pumps; replace the water heater.

• Western Avenue Elementary School - replacement of 26-year-old cabinet unit heaters; replace 32-year-old boilers; HVAC piping.

• Mill Creek Elementary School - replacement of boiler; boiler pumps; 26-year-old generator; replacement of carpet.

• Heartland Elementary School - replacement of the air handling unit; flooring; chilled water pumps; 20-year-old chiller; boilers and pumps; hot water heaters.

• Williamsburg Elementary School - replacement of 14-year-old chillers; hot water heaters; tuck pointing and masonry.

• Fabyan Elementary School - replacement of air handling units; 13-year-old chillers; water heaters.

• Coultrap Educational Services Center - replacement of HVAC controls; fire alarm system; fan coil units are failing; 26-year-old air compressor; 22-year-old forced air furnace burners; parking lot cracked and needs resurfacing; upgrade of elevator control system.

• Keslinger Transportation Building - lighting upgrades; parking lot resurfacing; replacement of HVAC system; air handling unit.

More information is available online at meetings.boardbook.org.