Tri-City United-Le Center K-8 will receive about $2 million for building maintenance and improvements. (File photo/southernminn.com)

Tri-City United-Le Center K-8 will receive about $2 million for building maintenance and improvements. (File photo/southernminn.com)

On Aug. 8, the Tri-City United School Board authorized the district to borrow up to $5.2 million to address indoor air quality and maintenance projects at TCU Le Center, TCU Montgomery and TCU High School.

With the authorization, the district aims to close the bond sale at a yet-to-be-determined price by Oct. 19, provided the true interest cost does not exceed 4%.

Approximately $3.08 million of the bond, consisting of interior air quality projects, would be shouldered by the budget and levy over an 8-year term. The remaining $2.24 million would be covered by 40% of annual Long Term Facility Maintenance revenues from the state over a period of 10 years.

The bond increase would raise the estimated general fund levy of $410,000 in 2023 to $462,000 in 2024 when the bond payments take effect, an approximate 12% increase.

Tri-City United School Board Member Trevor Houn said the funding will eliminate almost all of the school district’s most poorly aged utilities.

“Some of these items are very large. If they go out and need to get replaced that’s all of our LTFM for that year so we are trying to lump all of it together,” said Houn.

The authorization comes two months after the School Board reviewed a slate of up to $8.3 million in utilities in need of replacement. At 87 years old, Le Center K-8 was identified as having some of the greatest maintenance needs.

There were nearly $2 million in potential projects targeting Le Center K-8, including more than $1 million to replace the old steam boiler with a water boiler. The proposal also called to replace the steam piping and pumps with hot water utilities.

In addition, an estimated $646,000 would be spent to upgrade the building’s fire alarm system. Existing furnaces dating back to 1968 will be removed and replaced with horizontal unit ventilators to increase air quality.

Montgomery K-8 stands to benefit the most from air quality improvements. The school auditorium, locker rooms, swimming pool and music/choir room will all receive new air handling units to better maintain the internal temperature and mitigate corrosion in the pool. Combined, the air quality improvements amount to $1.36 million.

An estimated $796,000 would pay for the replacement of a pair of air handling units dating back to 1993 at Tri-City United High School. The high school track will also have its surface replaced at a cost of $327,000.

Approximately $2.66 million in proposed maintenance upgrades to Le Center Primary School were not included in the district’s bond proposal. Back in June, the School Board heard options to replace the HUV system with a central variable air volume (VAV) system, as well as the building automation system (BAS), hot water distribution piping and add service ventilation improvements.

Due to the large amount of LTFM revenues going toward the maintenance project, School Board Member Kevin Huber said the district should prepare a plan in the event an emergency unexpectedly stretches the maintenance budget.

“If we do the projects, we’re holding ourselves hostage on the long term facility because we are spending it up front,” Huber said at a June meeting.

“So if something major happens we have to figure out how to deal with it if something unexpected happens.”

Reach Reporter Carson Hughes at 507-931-8575. ©Copyright 2022 APG Media of Southern Minnesota. All Rights Reserved.

Data included is taken from the Minnesota Department of Health Daily reports. Because all data is preliminary, the change in number of cumulative positive cases and deaths from one day to the next may not equal the newly reported cases or deaths.

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