Improvements Made At Schools
— McDonald County High School, Anderson Elementary, Southwest City School, and Noel Elementary received major building updates over the summer, including new roofing, new HVAC units, and new awnings.
MCHS received seven new awnings that connect campus buildings together, 16 rooftop units, and about 40,000 feet of new roof surfacing. Anderson Elementary received a new boiler, seven split system units, and three air handling units. Southwest City School received eight rooftop units and about 18,500 square feet of new roof surfacing. Noel Elementary received two rooftop units, 39 fan coil and air handling unit replacements, valve and hydronic piping system replacements, and about 59,000 square feet of new roof surfacing. The district contracted Schneider Electric for all improvements.
Will Gordon, assistant superintendent over operations for the district, said updates made in the schools were based upon individual needs and age of school units and systems. Gordon added that many of the replacements were long-awaited, as multiple systems outlived their life expectancy.
“It’s based on the areas of most need,” Gordon said. “It’s based on the condition and the age. And as far as the awnings, that has been something that our district has wanted for kids for a long time.”
Gordon said the updates in the schools provide more comfort for students and teachers while they’re on campus.
“It creates an environment that is comfortable and positive for kids,” Gordon said. “So, although people don’t necessarily get to see it, or it doesn’t stand out as much as other things, it affects the comfort level and just the conduciveness to learning.”
Gordon said upcoming projects being considered in the district include a roof replacement at Anderson Middle School, as the roof has sustained hail damage, and tornado shelters at each school.
Jeff Hughes, principal at Noel Elementary School, said the updates made in his school offer a morale boost to faculty and students alike.
“Anything that we can do to boost the morale of our students and our staff, anything that we can do there, it’s going to support growth for our kids both socially, emotionally and academically,” Hughes said.
Hughes said, prior to the updates made to the cooling system in the school, the AC unit in the building was unreliable. Hughes said being able to effectively control the temperature in the building allows for a better environment throughout the school year.
Hughes said he was amazed by how quickly the building was updated, with the project being started and completed in the summer before students and teachers returned to the building for the 2021-22 school year.
Gordon said he appreciates the support the community has shown during the summer projects.
“We certainly appreciate the support of our community and working toward helping our kids’ everyday lives,” Gordon said. “I do appreciate what our community stands for and the support it gives the school.”