Culver Elementary School to Begin HVAC Project June 1

Culver Community School Superintendent Brad Schuldt
Culver Community School Superintendent Brad Schuldt

The Culver Community School Corporation is preparing for summer break which kicks off on May 30 but the corporation still has some work to do over the summer while the students enjoy their time away from school. Superintendent Brad Schuldt said the school board approved three resolutions at their meeting Monday night, beginning the process of selling bonds to finance a project at Culver Elementary School.

Schuldt said the corporation is looking to improve every single classroom in the building by providing better temperature control and indoor air quality through the heating, air conditioning, and ventilation system. Schuldt said the project is expected to start as soon as the school year comes to a close, with the work to be wrapped up before the beginning of the next school year.

Schuldt said the majority of the project will consist of removing all of the antiquated HVAC equipment to replace with newer, modern technology in an effort to improve the efficiency of the school’s heating and cooling efforts. Schuldt said the new unit will not only be more efficient, but it will also be quieter and less intrusive to the learning environment. On top of that, the unit features managed temperature controls, which he said are all part of another energy savings-guaranteed project to help reduce the cost of utilities in the general fund.

The corporation is working with a company from Indianapolis; Performance Services will be handling the entirety of the project, with an estimated price tag of $1.6 million. However, Schuldt emphasized that these funds are coming out of their Debt Service Bond Fund, which he explained is a different fund than the one the teachers and staff are paid from. He said this will actually help the general fund – that is, the fund from which staff members are paid – by cutting down on utility costs.

The board approved three resolutions: a preliminary bond resolution, an additional appropriation notice resolution, and a hearing notice resolution to get started on selling the bonds. He said the project construction will begin June 1, after the bonds are sold by the end of this month.