News and Music Discovery
Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations

Graves County Schools to Make $9.2 Million in Upgrades in 2015

Graves County Schools logo

The Graves County School board is moving ahead with several upgrades to eight of the district’s schools in 2015. 

Last month, the board entered into a guaranteed energy savings contract with Louisville-based company Harshaw Trane to make $9.2 million in much-needed renovations and improvements. 

It’s the fourth largest contract of its kind signed with any Kentucky school district, behind only Christian County's $14.9 million project, Bullitt County's $11.3 million and Knox County's $9.3 million. 

Finance Director R.B. Mays says the district faces more than $27 million in needed facility repairs. One of the priorities is replacing the 30 year-old heating, ventilation and air conditioning system at the High School. The system was to be paid for by the proposed nickel tax increase and matching state funds in 2013, however a voters' referendum ultimately rejected the increase. Engineers then estimated the cost of the new HVAC to be $9-12 million. 

“Ideally, we fund these projects ourselves through our own bonding and enjoy the energy savings in our general fund over the next 20 years,” said Superintendent Kim Harrison.  “However, we simply did not have the financing capacity for the project and the high school HVAC was well past its projected life. This arrangement allows us to address our needs and to move forward in a financially responsible way.”

State statute says energy and operational savings must fund at least 50 percent of the total project; the district will use bonds to pay the rest. Mays says if those savings do not materialize after the improvements have been made, Harshaw Trane is legally bound to pay the district the difference between the actual and projected savings. 

Mays says most of the savings will come from replacing the 30-year-old heating and air-conditioning system at the high school, as well as systems in the athletic buildings and Wingo Elementary. However, those upgrades were not enough to fund half of the school project so the district looked to make improvements at other schools. Wingo Elementary will receive a new HVAC system, new ceilings as well as cafeteria, kitchen and exterior lighting. 

Farmington Elementary School will receive new interior, exterior, and gymnasium lighting. Graves County Middle School as well as Central, Fancy Farm, Sedalia, and Symsonia elementary schools each will benefit from new cafeteria, exterior, and gymnasium lighting, while Sedalia Elementary School will have additional interior lighting replaced. Central, Fancy Farm, Sedalia, and Symsonia also will experience variable flow pumping conversions that will allow their existing systems to operate more efficiently.  Lowes is the only elementary school not receiving upgrades, because the statute prohibits the district from using capital dollars on a school designated as “transitional,” a classification for a building designated to be replaced.   

The Graves County Board of Education approved the projects at its Nov. 12 meeting, along with approving a refinancing of its 2006 bonds – a measure that will save the district nearly $90,000 over the final ten years of those notes. The board also signed a promissory agreement that allowed Harshaw Trane to order the equipment immediately in order to speed up the projects. Any savings generated during the 2014-15 fiscal year are not included in the agreement and are additional benefits to the district.

Crews are scheduled to begin work before the end of winter break. All renovations are scheduled to be complete by the start of the next school year.

Rob Canning is a native of Murray, KY, a 2015 TV Production grad of Murray State. At MSU, he served as team captain of the Murray State Rowing Club. Rob's goal is to become a screenwriter, film director or producer and looks to the likes of Quentin Tarantino and Guy Ritchie for inspiration. He appreciates good music, mainly favoring British rock n' roll, and approves of anything with Jack White's name on it. When not studying, rowing or writing, Rob enjoys spending his free time with a book or guitar.
Related Content