District operations report: HVAC, buses and campus repairs amid ongoing recovery work

District operations staff provided an update on transportation, nutrition, technology and ongoing recovery work across McDowell County Schools. Administrators said bus cleaning and inspections will finish ahead of school start; activity bus delivery is pending. Technology staff are migrating schools to new subnets and preparing a Chromebook refresh.

Child nutrition director reported the district will again qualify for the Community Eligibility Provision (CEP), meaning all students will receive free breakfast and lunch, and the Food Service team secured an FFE grant to provide fresh fruit or vegetables three days a week in elementary schools.

Facilities staff described ongoing work at Pleasant Gardens Elementary—paving and striping, drainage remediation, pressure washing, interior cleaning and painting, and luxury-vinyl-tile installation—with some exterior repairs still in progress. At Old Fort Elementary, BELFOR’s work is complete, VIRCO deliveries of furniture were arriving, corrosion and Mill Creek repairs were done and FEMA coordination for reimbursement is ongoing. Volunteers and community partners have assisted with beautification projects; a new playground is being procured with partners including Kaboom and the YMCA.

Facilities staff reported encountering 50 HVAC-related issues since March; they said 34 have been resolved and 15 remain open, including one in a leased building where staff are working with the owner. Staff showed photos of clogged condenser filters and a damaged condenser pump impeller as examples of conditions that had led to system failures. The director said custodians and maintenance staff will change interior filters and that a 90-day preventive-maintenance cadence has been instructed.

Operations staff also showed images of resurfaced gym floors, new bleachers at the high-school baseball and softball fields and reported the district’s pump truck has reached total failure; a replacement is ordered and expected by year-end. The director said contracted pumping services will be used until the new truck arrives.