Tonganoxie schools report finished summer projects; roof and HVAC work near completion at middle school

TONGANOXIE, Kan. — Most summer facility projects at Tonganoxie USD 464 are complete, but board members heard Tuesday that finishing work on a middle-school roof and one rooftop HVAC unit remains underway.
Mr. Loomis, a district staff member who gave the report, told the board that the parking lot at Tonganoxie Middle School is “completed, pretty much,” the auto shop air conditioning in the high school CTE wing is finished and the track was resprayed last weekend. He said the West Campus gym floor is nearly done and could be released for public use about Aug. 20.
The district’s planned roof work at Tonganoxie Middle School was delayed by rain, Loomis said, and he now expects completion “early next week.” He told the board that the contractor prioritized completing educational spaces and that “all 4 of [the] classroom wings” are finished, with remaining work concentrated around locker rooms and common areas.
On HVAC, Loomis said one rooftop unit serving the sixth-grade hallway experienced a “pretty major failure” in a large rotating component. While replacement parts are on order, he said the district has temporarily placed a rental rooftop unit on a trailer and ducted it into the building, running from a generator until the unit can be hardwired.
“That rental unit is a full rooftop unit that’s just sitting on the ground that’s ducted up in there,” Loomis said. “So when that part comes in…we’ll actually be able to check that box as completed.”
The board also approved purchase of a ride-on floor scrubber for TMS after Loomis said the district had not bought major custodial equipment since the building opened after the bond. He said staff tried four machines over the summer and recommended a model that includes a 3-year parts and 2-year labor warranty and matched custodians’ preferences for size and maneuverability.
Board members asked about custodial staffing and cooling in the sixth-grade wing. Loomis said the rental HVAC unit was ducted into the return air system and that, while it had only been running a short time during inspection, he expected the space to be adequately cool. He also reported the district’s custodial staffing: middle and high school positions filled by district employees, while elementary custodial work is a mix of two full-time district employees and five-and-a-half subcontracted positions.
Discussion: Board questions focused on timing, disruptions to classrooms and equipment selection; Loomis said contractors were working to avoid roof work over active classrooms.
Decision: The board voted unanimously, 5-0, to approve the TMS floor scrubber purchase (action item 5.6). No dollar amount for the scrubber purchase was specified in the public discussion attached to the agenda.
Background: Loomis said progress on several projects positions the district to start the school year, with finishing tasks concentrated in nonclassroom spaces and one rooftop unit awaiting a replacement part. The board recessed into executive session later in the meeting for personnel matters and resumed with additional actions unrelated to facilities.