By MIKE COURSON
Great Bend Post
The 1999 school bond issue in Great Bend accomplished many things. Some of those benefits are beginning to age out. During Monday’s USD 428 Board of Education meeting, the board approved a $1.2 million purchase for new heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) units at Great Bend High School. Assistant Superintendent John Popp said the units to be replaced are the oldest in the building, and one will require some thinking to get back into the crawlspace.
“The problem with that is we don’t believe the opening is large enough to be able to put a new system, just like what’s in there, back in there,” he said. “Somebody would essentially have to disassemble the unit, take it underneath, then reassemble it, which would be very labor intensive and cost prohibitive.”
That unit will serve the 2-story portion of GBHS. The other units are rooftop units on top of the GBHS auditorium. The old units have leaked freon in the past, and Maintenance Director Dirk Davis said the new units will also be quieter than the current ones. He also addressed the new unit that will replace the old unit in the crawlspace.
“It would be something similar, but the units would be smaller and easier to get down there,” he said. “You would still have the units down in the basement, and the condensing unit would be on top. It would be much more efficient and more compact to get down there.”
Wichita-based Innovative Groups will help the district purchase the new units at a government rate, and also find contractors to install the units. The work is expected to be completed this summer.