Facility study: Elementary school in good shape despite age

The Cedar Grove-Belgium School Board got its first look at an early version of its districtwide facility study this month.

“It’s critical to note your buildings are in very good condition,” Bray Associates Architects President Matt Wolfert said.

He presented a 132-page document to make sure the study is on the right track and looking at the correct areas. 

Issues at the elementary school, he said, aren’t due to neglect but age.

Of its two boilers, one was replaced in 2014 and the other is at the end of its lifespan, he said.

The biggest issue is ventilation and air handling. Air conditioning doesn’t reach every space, Wolfert said.

The pneumatic controls, he said, are “great 1990s technology” but they aren’t taught in school anymore. He suggests switching to digital controls.

Americans with Disabilities Act updates would be required, but the school has fewer issues than at other districts, he said.

The middle school, he said, has a few little issues to fix, and the high school will require roof work in the next five to 10 years.

The pool, which is nearing the end of or has gone beyond its lifespan  is a separate issue, Wolfert said, that won’t receive as much of a public reaction unless a cost is tied to a plan.

The study was triggered by a presentation to the board by Lisa Voisin of Baird last fall. She said the district has more than $3 million in debt and is slated to be debt free in four years. Borrowing $15 million would mean payments remain flat and wouldn’t increase taxes.

The last referendum the district held didn’t carry a tax increase, she said. That was in 2010 for $6 million, most of which went to remodel the middle school..

The district has a bond rating of AA, the third-highest attainable, which allows for locking in low interest rates.