Facilities director urges replacement of aging chillers at two elementary schools

The district’s director of facilities, Matt Lentz, told the board that chillers at Hulsing and Erickson elementary schools have reached the end of their useful life and are no longer cooling reliably.

Lentz said four pieces of equipment (a 40‑ton chiller and remote condenser at each building) were quoted at $126,995 apiece under cooperative purchasing agreement 66051 with Carrier Corporation. He described repeated work orders, scarce parts and obsolete refrigerant that make repair impractical. "The equipment…they are 18 years old. Typical life cycle for a 40 ton chiller and remote condensers between 15 and 20 years," Lentz said.

He outlined warranty terms, a target installation in May to have systems operational for the next school year, and contingency cooling measures such as fans and opening windows if needed in the near term. Board members asked about warranty length, bid competition and whether funds would come from the 2023 bond; Lentz said the pricing aligns with other recent field work and that bond funds are the likely source.

No formal vote on replacement occurred at the meeting; the board discussed procurement timing and directed staff to continue planning and report back with final procurement documents.