Community invited to school master plan discussion Tuesday

    A master plan to guide future planning of Holyoke School District’s facility needs is a topic of serious discussion as the district moves forward.
    Neenan Archistruction has been hired to help the district create this plan and is asking for community input.
    A master plan work session is scheduled for Tuesday, April 16, from 1:30-5:30 p.m. in the high school library.
    Superintendent Kyle Stumpf emphasized that no prior experience or involvement is required. This is a unique opportunity to provide input on the potential for future improvements to district facilities.
    Updating the school master facility plan is imperative before decisions can be made going forward with regard to energy cost savings. The master plan includes cost projections for potential facility upgrades, including new construction.
    The most recent master plan for the district is nine years old. While some of the projects in the plan, such as roofing, were completed, others need cost estimate updates.
    At the April 2 school board meeting, Stumpf reported on meetings with Schneider Electric, which is studying potential energy cost savings for the district.
    Stumpf told the board that Schneider Electric representatives met with local district reps March 29 to review the 45-page document that they prepared.
    Having visited the district a half-dozen times in the last six months, Schneider reps reviewed monthly bills for the last three years, looked for peak performance times and brought in an engineer to look at the chiller at the JR/SR high to brainstorm ways to get it operational.
    In touring the district, Stumpf said, the Schneider reps looked at lighting and fixture upgrade potential, as well. Additionally, they looked at water systems on the grounds.
    Their report indicated that they believe there’s enough savings to be had to warrant a performance contract moving forward. To date, Schneider has asked for no money for what the company has done for the district. Stumpf said the approach has been based on an interest in the opportunity to work with the district going forward.
    Schneider Electric organized an April 3 meeting in Holyoke with the Colorado Energy office, which presented information on energy performance contracts and investment grade audits.
    Stumpf said that if the district chooses to contract with Schneider Electric, they can move forward with energy efficiency proposals in phases. Phase one could involve a base project for the heating and air conditioning at the JR/SR high, and an update on automated controls and lighting.
    The next phase could then potentially incorporate a savings plan throughout the rest of the district. After the March 29 meeting, the district requested from Schneider Electric a cost breakdown on projected savings for each building.
    After a master facility plan is in place, the district will make decisions on moving forward with energy savings. Stumpf said they will be looking at the best ways to leverage funding with grants from the Department of Local Affairs and Building Excellent Schools Today, as well as other funding opportunities.
   

Holyoke Enterprise

970-854-2811 (Phone)

130 N Interocean Ave
PO Box 297
Holyoke CO 80734