Project Details

Bassett High School HVAC System Replacement, Ceiling Replacement, and Lighting Replacement

After several construction phases spanning more than seven years, the roof replacement project at Bassett High School reached substantial completion in the fall of 2020. The remaining items in this project include an HVAC system replacement for the office area, dining rooms, the Fine Arts wing, and the auditorium. The new availability of ESSER III funds will help HCPS complete move this project into the design phase in the fall of 2021 and allow for construction to begin in the spring or summer of 2022. The ceiling replacement and lighting replacements will require funding from either the Building Improvement budget, the Facilities and Maintenance operating budget, or local revenue. The HVAC system, lighting, and ceilings have not been upgraded in these areas since 1978 with the exception of incidental lighting upgrades. This project would likely interfere with classroom instruction in some areas of the building but would not necessarily require that all aspects of the system replacements occur during the summer months.

[Bassett High School – Area C renovations]

 Elevator Installation at George Washington Carver Elementary, Drewry Mason Elementary, and Campbell Court Elementary schools

HCPS has three elementary schools that were constructed as multi-level buildings prior to the ADA requirement to make each floor accessible to wheelchair-bound students, parents, and employees. An elevator was installed at Fieldale-Collinsville Middle School in 2020. Based on this project, HCPS estimates the addition of elevators at each of the three multi-level elementary schools will cost approximately $600,000 to $800,000 and create some degree of disruption to the learning environment. The biggest variable for these projects, however, is the amount of lead time for the availability of materials and contractors. Once the construction phase begins, there is an estimate of at least six months before the project is completed. Additionally, because there are so few elevator manufacturers and contractors who specialize in this field, it is highly unlikely that any of these installations could happen simultaneously. Therefore, the general expectation is that there may be overlaps among the projects in terms of design for one while construction is taking place for another, but one should not expect any two of these sites to be under construction at the same time. In addition to the elevator design and construction costs, other reasonable accommodations will be made to existing structures, such as the addition of ramps and modifications to bathrooms to make the facilities more handicap accessible.

During the development of the FY 2024 School Operating Budget, the elevator installation projects were rated as the second-highest priority among stakeholders who gave feedback. As of March 2024, there has not been a decision as to which of these elementary schools would be the first to receive an elevator. Illustrations from the RRMM Feasibility study have been included. As a budgetary note, the feasibility study estimates the following costs for these project, with an anticipated 4.5% cost escalation each year based on the current market:

• George Washington Carver Elementary: $779,000
• Drewry Mason Elementary: $644,000
• Campbell Court Elementary: $810,000

[RRMM Feasibility Study – George Washington Carver Elementary School]

[RRMM Feasibility Study – Drewry Mason Elementary School]

[RRMM Feasibility Study – Campbell Court Elementary School]

Laurel Park Middle School Rooftop HVAC System Replacement and Roof Replacement

The twenty-year warranty on the roof at Laurel Park Middle School has reached its expiration. This project will seek to replace the PVC roofing with a rubber EPDM roof. The HVAC rooftop package units at Laurel Park Middle School are due for replacement. This replacement may have implications for the Variable Air Volume (VAV) boxes beneath the roof at Laurel Park Middle School. For this reason, two projects—HVAC system replacement and roof replacement—had been consolidated into one project in previous iterations of the CIP. The availability of Coronavirus State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds (CSLFRF) for improvement air quality and renovations will allow the HVAC aspect of this project to enter the design phase in FY 2023 and the construction phase FY 2024. The roof aspect of this project is being deferred at least beyond the FY 2023 planning period and will be re-evaluated for the 2024 – 2028 CIP cycle. Both aspects of this project may interfere with classroom instruction and will therefore be scheduled for times with minimal occupancy in the building.

[Laurel Park Middle School – Rooftop HVAC System Replacement]

Field Houses at Both High Schools

For nearly a decade, there has been support for the addition of field houses at both high schools. However, these projects have not been put to the front of the line, and other projects have taken higher priority. The purpose of the field houses will be to provide shelter for our student athletes and coaches as well as the student athletes and coaches of visiting schools. The concept for each field house is a red brick building with a metal roof. The field houses will be designed to be large enough to provide temporary shelter for two teams, divided by a center wall and team restroom areas. Each side will have a bay of lockers and minimal storage. There will be some consideration given to the needs for additional public-use restrooms and concessions windows depending on the locations selected for each field house. The timeline for starting and completing this project remains dependent upon the availability of funds. This project would generally not cause disruptions to the learning environment. Based on the initial floor plans received at the end of February 2024, the field house shown at Bassett High School has an estimated cost of $1,210,000. The estimated cost of the field house at Magna Vista High School is $1,650,000. There are floor plans and aerial maps below for each site. Both of these projects are in the design phase. 

[RRMM – Bassett High School Field House Floor Plan]

[RRMM – Magna Vista High School Field House Floor Plan]

HVAC System Replacements at Rich Acres Elementary School, Stanleytown Elementary School, Sanville Elementary School, and Fieldale-Collinsville Middle School

Each of the listed school sites is in need of a wide-reaching HVAC system replacement. The work at each site would include replacement of individual classroom units, the associated air handlers, and chill water units. The system replacement would benefit individual classrooms, common areas, and office spaces. 

Locker Room HVAC Installation at Fieldale-Collinsville Middle School

This project was originally designed and put out for bid as an ESSER II project. However, no contractors bid on the project.

Improvements to Athletic Campus and  Handicap Accessibility

Several components of the athletic campus at Magna Vista High School, namely the football/soccer stadium, track, and baseball field, are situated at lower elevation than the parking lots that serve these playing surfaces. This creates accessibility issues for spectators, visiting teams and bands, and even emergency medical technician services. A project to improve the overall accessibility to this part of the campus at Magna Vista would provide parking and seating for attendees with disabilities and make restroom facilities more readily available for student athletes and spectators. Some aspects of this project will be incorporated in the design and construction of the field house that is to be situated between the football field and baseball field.

 Artificial Turf Installation and Track Repair/Replacement

The track and grass playing surfaces at the four secondary school in Henry County remain in consistent use throughout the calendar year, as these surfaces are used for school teams as well as community teams and the community in general. Henry County Public Schools has given consideration to the installation of artificial turf at the two high schools and is in the process of evaluating the status of each track surface at each of the secondary schools. Early estimates for the installation of artificial turf have exceeded $500,000 per site. Early estimates for track repair and/or replacement run between $600,000 and over $1,000,000 depending on the condition of the track.