Dalton school year off to a good start despite high school HVAC installation delays
DALTON — Shipping delays have stalled installation of a new HVAC system at Dalton High School, board members learned at their Monday meeting.
Teasurer Patrick McGinty said although there have been some setbacks due to shipping he is hopeful the remainder of the installation should be done by the end of October.
The school year has been off to a great start Superintendent Jim Saxer said as the high school has been adjusting to its new schedule well and few COVID cases interrupting the school year.
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Shipping delays push back installation of new HVAC system
Over the summer, the district planned to renovate Dalton High School and was able to replace several windows in preparation for the HVAC system that was going to be installed.
Because of unforeseen delays, some of the equipment was not able to arrive in time to get the whole project done before the start of the 2022-23 school year.
A few board members raised concerns and questions about when the project might be completed – especially with colder weather coming in. McGinty said he was assured the heating system would work. He said the rest of the pieces are estimated to arrive by Oct. 5.
The last two A/C units – one being the rooftop unit and the other to replace a unit that was damaged during shipping – should be installed in the coming weeks as McGinty said the project is estimated to be completed by the end of October.
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New school year starting off right
Although there are still some lingering effects from COVID – with a few mild cases popping up from time to time – Saxer said the first month of classes has gone well.
Building off an idea already being used at the elementary and middle schools, the high school added an another intervention or enrichment time – known as flex period – that has been going well, Saxer said.
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With the state report cards coming out earlier this month, Saxer said the district did very well overall – getting three stars or better across the board – even with COVID during the past two years.
Saxer said there is room for improvement in some areas, but he “couldn’t commend the staff enough” for all the hard work they put in.
Other things from the meeting
The board accepted roughly $4,750 in donations that will go toward the cheer program, the girls basketball program and a pep-rally bonfire.
Several new hires were approved, including Heather Carr as the Show Choir and choir director, Makenna Geiser as an assistant varsity girls basketball and Robin Evans-DelCiappo who will take on several roles within the district.
The Snow Ski Club was approved again and volunteer adviser and board member Lisa Gwin said there is already some interest from students.
Contact Rachel Karas at rkaras@gannett.com
Twitter: @RachelKaras3
This article originally appeared on The Daily Record: Dalton Schools sees great start to year despite HVAC project delays
