The Vigo County (Ind.) school district plans to spend $23 million to upgrade HVAC and plumbing systems at its three high schools.
The Tribune-Star reports that the district, based in Terre Haute, intends to allocate $18 million in federal Covid relief funds to carry out the HVAC system improvements. It will issue $5 million in general obligation bonds to pay for the plumbing work.
The district has three high schools--Terre Haute North Vigo High and Terre Haute South Vigo High in Terre Haute, and West Vigo High in West Terre Haute.
John Newport, the district's chief operating officer for facilities, says some of the equipment needed may take as much as a year to arrive due to continuing supply chain issues. For example, chillers may take 46 to 53 weeks from time of ordering to arrival.
Interim superintendent Tom Balitewicz says the upgrades at the high schools are overdue,WTHI-TVreports."You could talk to anybody that works in those schools or any student that attends school at those three high schools, and they could tell you that those upgrades to the HVAC are needed terribly," Balitewicz says.
