High School Chiller System Contract Approved
At a special meeting at 7 a.m. Monday morning, the Barnesville Board of Education approved a contract with Energy Optimizers USA, LLC, a broker, for $288,380.00 for improvements to the aging chiller system at Barnesville High School.
Energy Optimizers is the same firm that handled the chiller replacement project at the elementary school last year.
The only other bid by the Carrier Corporation came in at $460,000.
The aging cooling system that failed during recent hot weather is currently working at a 50% level according to John Blattler, director of building and grounds, thanks to efforts by Jessie Biddle who maintained the system for many years.
Blattler said the new system will be up and running by the new school year. He expressed hope that the work will be finished before the annual alumni banquet on July 11.
The only other agenda item approved was a personnel recommendation by Superintendent Micah Fuchs to add one groundskeeper floater position and eliminate an open high school custodian position.
In a discussion that followed, Blattler explained the change interestingly permits more flexibility for the challenges of operating regular daily busing of students to and from school as well as travel to sporting and other events.
To date this year 466 off-site trips have taken place.
“Floaters and subs are covering 50 percent of these trips,” the transportation director said.
After the meeting, Blattler said there is a need for employee candidates with Class B CDL licenses with P & S endorsements for driving school and transit buses.
The personnel change was approved 4-0-1 with President Ed Eberhart, Tammy Wells, Dennis Huntsman and Janice Milliken voting in the affirmative and Leslie Shultz abstaining.
Before the meeting was adjourned, school graduation dates were shared. Kindergarten graduation takes place Friday morning followed by 8th grade graduation Monday, May 18.
Eberhart noted the High School Baccalaureate service will take place at 7 p.m. Sunday at the high school. Senior graduation is scheduled for Barnesville Shamrock Stadium on Tuesday evening, May 19.
Fuchs also reminded members of the upcoming board meetings of Thursday, May 21, and a change for June from the 18th to Monday, July 29.
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