The Bristol Bay Borough School District is putting $3.6 million from the borough to work renovating the school.
Construction has begun on some long awaited renovations at the Bristol Bay Borough School District. On June 22 the Borough Assembly allocated $3.6 million from the general fund. The project includes replacing parts of the roof, upgrading air handler unit motors, addressing plumbing problems, and replacing the heat exchanger.
“Our heat exchanger hasn’t been working real well. When it’s cold out, the class rooms have been chilly,” says school board president Michael Swain. “We’ve also noticed that we pay approximately $30,000 a month in electricity. The replacement of the motors on the lighting should significantly reduce that we hope.”
Based on a projection by the company who designed the renovations, the borough anticipates saving $20,000 annually with upgrades to the lighting.
Swain estimates that the borough and school district have been exploring avenues to fund these renovations for eight years. The borough is hoping to recoup some of the costs through the Alaska Energy Authority’s Village Energy Efficiency Program.
Repairs are slated to be finished this winter by time students return from Christmas break.
Contact the author at avery@kdlg.org or 907-842-2200.
