School Building Authority awards $6.7 million to 10 counties | The … – The Exponent Telegram (press release) (registration)

The West Virginia School Building Authority is giving $6.7 million in Major Improvement Project grant money to public schools in 10 counties.

The grants, awarded at the boards quarterly meeting on June 26, help public schools pay for construction and renovation projects statewide.

Counties requested a total of $9 million from the SBA in this years Major Improvement Project grant cycle.

Fayette County received the $1 million it requested for renovations to Oak Hill High School to accommodate an increase in enrollment from the closure of Fayetteville High School. The work will include a new safe school entrance with a mantrap and visitor processing area, office relocation and expansion, cafeteria expansion, and the creation of a new STEM/STEAM lab in the former shop area. The school system will contribute $397,482 of its own money to the project.

Webster County is getting $930,920 for new ceilings, lights, and lockers throughout the interior of Webster County High School. The project replaces ceilings and lights damaged by a leaking roof that was replaced in 2013. Webster has $10,000 in local funding to complete the project.

Pocahontas County requested and received $925,443 for renovations to Pocahontas County High School that include replacing the sewage treatment system, water tank, and a building-wide fire alarm, as well as new garage doors, windows, entry doors, and a roof over the storage area in the vocational building. SBA documents note the West Virginia Division of Environmental Protection has fined Pocahontas County for noncompliance and faulty operation of the existing sewage treatment system. They also note the county cannot contribute any local funds because voters on Nov. 8, 2016, rejected a capital improvement levy which, in partnership with a SBA Needs Grant, would have resulted in $18 million worth of improvements throughout the county.

Taylor County will use $859,682 plus $300,000 of its own money to add three classrooms and a student restroom to West Taylor Elementary School. Then the system can move 40 Pre-K students that are housed in a collaborative head start program located at a church in Webster, making room for more 3-year-olds to enter Webster Head Start.

Monongalia County sought and received $743,211 for HVAC renovations and installation of new controls and rebalancing of all associated systems at the 26-year-old Mountainview Elementary School. The school system is paying 25 percent of the project cost, which amounts to $247,737.

Lincoln County asked for and received $600,000 to replace sewer plants at Midway Elementary School and Duval PreK-8 School to fix health and safety violations. SBA documents say the Duval facility has been warned it could be permanently closed if its systems retaining wall fails. Lincoln is paying 18.73 percent or $138,306 of the project cost.

Pendleton County intends to put a $50,000 federal Qualified Zone Academy Bond with the $592,353 MIP grant to pay for self-contained heating/cooling units plus duct work and controls in the gymnasiums at Pendleton County Middle/High School and Brandywine Elementary School. The current systems at those schools only heat the facilities and do not provide adequate ventilation or cooling or meet the current standards of the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers.

Mason County was awarded $384,154 and with $96,038 of local funding will replace and upgrade the HVAC at New Haven Elementary School, Hannan Jr./Sr. High, Roosevelt High School and Point Pleasant Primary.

Mercer County will use $280,830 from the SBA and $25,000 of its own money to renovate restrooms at Mercer Elementary School grades 3-5, including installing adequately equipped stalls to serve students who are wheelchair users or who require the assistance of an aide.

Four counties Kanawha, Cabell, Mingo, and Tucker did not get any of the funding they requested. According to an attachment to the SBA boards meeting agenda, Kanawha County had asked for $433,740 to help replace some windows at Horace Mann Middle School. Cabell County applied for $375,875 to fund half the cost of replacing a cooling tower at Cabell Midland High School. Mingo County had sought $796,776 to replace through wall HVAC units on the second floor of Gilbert Elementary School while salvaging parts for existing units on the first floor. Tucker County had requested $79,932 for masonry cleaning and sealant to prevent water infiltration and damage at Tucker County High School.

Staff comments in the agenda indicated that the other projects might be judged more meritorious than those not receiving funding. In other cases, the projects might have met only a minimum number of criteria used to evaluate the merit of the project.

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School Building Authority awards $6.7 million to 10 counties | The ... - The Exponent Telegram (press release) (registration)