School Board Accepts Panel Recommendations

For $14.5 Million In ‘Climate’ Projects

By Larissa Lytwyn

The final report of the Newtown school district’s Climate Control Committee’s makes $14.5 million in maintenance recommendations for five local schools. The projects, listed in order of importance, involve work to be done at Head O’ Meadow School, Hawley School, Newtown Middle School, Sandy Hook School, and Middle Gate School.

The report was accepted and its recommendations were endorsed by the Board of Education August 12.

Excluded from the report was Newtown High School, which underwent a series of renovations in 1999, and Reed Intermediate School, which was under construction as the committee did its work.

Comprised of field experts, teachers, local administrators, parents, and ex-officio members, Superintendent of Schools Evan Pitkoff, Finance Director Ron Bienkowski, and Buildings and Grounds Director Dominick Posca, the committee convened last November after a study by EnviroService Consultants, Incorporated revealed slightly elevated levels of carbon monoxide in some district classrooms.

“The [committee] report is part of the town’s Capital Improvement Plan,” Dr Pitkoff. The recommendations, if approved by the town’s Board of Finance, will be implemented gradually over several years. This year, Dr Pitkoff said, the school board hopes to allocate the money for renovations at Head O’ Meadow School.

The review of the request by the Board of Finance is currently pending.

The superintendent pointed out that the recommendations call for expenditures than are far less than originally estimated. “Originally, the total renovation costs were $35 million,” said Dr Pitkoff.

One of the primary problems, he said, was that buildings often have multiple heating systems. Some parts of the building, for example, have steam boilers while others may rely on more modern hot water systems.

Last winter, the committee made on-site visits to learn about the various renovation options from presentations made by the buildings’ principals and district maintenance personnel. A survey conducted by Consulting Engineering Services, Inc (CES) examined issues relating to climate control and existing mechanical heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) systems within each of the buildings.

Recently passed state legislation concerning indoor air quality in schools (House Bill 6426) further tightened maintenance standards. Changes included “requiring operation and maintenance of heating, ventilation and air conditioning systems in accordance with the prevailing standards.”

The committee organized its final report for each school into three sections: a minimum cost scenario maintaining existing equipment and systems, a minimal cost/benefits scenario adding necessary or significant climate control enhancements, and finally a set of options for long-term improvement plans.

According to the committee report, school officials received daily complaints from the occupants of Head O’ Meadow School that it was either too hot or too cold in the building. Built in 1977 with air conditioning and nonscreened windows for fire egress (and, as it turned out, insect access), the committee recommends that a $3.2 million long-term improvement plan be applied. The HVAC system, close to the end of its useful life, will be replaced.

Hawley School, built in 1921, with an attached section constructed in 1948, has generated complains of uneven heat, lack of ventilation, and classrooms that are almost unbearably hot in the fall and spring. In addition, the winter brings inconsistent heating that leaves classrooms too warm or too cold. The committee recommends a $2.9 million long-term improvement plan that would replace the 1948 steam boiler, upgrade the 1921 boiler, upgrade the 1948 HV system and air conditioning, upgrade the 1921 HV system and add air conditioning to the 1921-built section.

Newtown Middle School, built in 1952, is a complicated series of buildings to evaluate. Reconstructions, renovations, and other implementations over the years have added to the school’s architectural complexity. The committee recommends a $3 million minimal cost/benefit scenario involving the replacement of existing steam boilers and piping distribution to hot water system, replacement of ventilation fans, and replacement of AC systems for the administrative area, media center, and computer classrooms.

The committee also recommends a minimal cost/benefit option for Sandy Hook School, built in 1956, at a cost of $1.6 million. To improve ventilation, the committee suggests replacing the air handler and thus rerouting air intake, as well as replacing some exhaust fans and upgrading cooling systems. In addition, the committee urges the reconfiguration of return air systems, upgrades for air handlers to constant volume unit, and the addition of air conditioning to the media center and offices, as well as an air conditioning upgrade in other areas of the building.

Finally, Middle Gate School, built in two sections in 1964 and 1993, respectively, has the lowest renovation costs. For $550,000, the committee recommends a minimum cost plan that would involve the replacement of exhaust fans in the cafeteria, gym, and adjacent toilets. In addition, the committee recommends upgrading the controls of computer lab and media center air conditioning. Long-time complaints about Middle Gate School have centered on the lack of air ventilation, particularly in the gymnasium/auditorium. Occupants describe the room as “unbearable” when assemblies or meetings or held during hot and humid weather.