HVAC, school bus upgrades on horizon for Vance schools

Kellen Holtzman, Henderson (N.C.) Daily Dispatch
·3 min read

Jan. 3—HENDERSON — Vance County's school board recently approved significant heating, ventilation and air conditioning improvements for four schools as well as a future upgrade to the district's bus fleet.

The school board approved the following vendor contracts for HVAC overhauls:

—L.B. Yancey Elementary, Gupton Services ($623,562);

—Pinkston Street Elementary, Gupton Services ($654,350);

—Carver Elementary, Ranes Heating & Air ($257,621); and

—Vance County Middle, MSS Solutions ($3.6 million).

Each purchase is backed by a federal grant from the Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief Fund.

Another $240,000-plus will be spent by the district on a pair of new exceptional children school buses using money from the more than $30.1 million N.C. Volkswagen Settlement Program, announced in October, and distributed statewide by the N.C. Department of Environmental Quality.

Vance County Schools Maintenance and Facilities Director Kevin Perdue said the yellow replacement buses, to be handicap accessible with wheelchair ramps, could be acquired and available by the 2023-24 school year.

Most of the Volkswagen Settlement Program funding for the 161 new school buses across the state is going toward all-electric school buses, but Vance County's will be fueled by diesel. Warren County Schools was also awarded three diesel buses while Granville County Schools is getting two electric buses at a substantially higher price, along with a propane-fueled one.

N.C. DEQ spokesperson Shawn Taylor told The Dispatch last month that each bus replacement — whether electric, diesel or propane — is associated with significant emission reductions compared to the older vehicles they're replacing.

"In particular," Taylor said, "the reduction of nitrogen oxide emissions was a primary consideration in selecting which buses received funding, because reducing [nitrogen oxide] emissions statewide is the overall goal DEQ has for the Volkswagen Settlement programs."

As the clean school buses are ordered and delivered, the old school buses will be destroyed," according to a N.C. DEQ news release, ensuring they no longer pollute the air in communities near schools.

"The new buses are replacing older buses with engine model years of 2009 or older — some much older," Taylor continued. "Emission standards have changed greatly since these old buses were built, and diesel vehicles today are much cleaner than they used to be. Compared to the newer buses, some of the older buses emit more than 20 times more [nitrogen oxide] and particulate matter."

Each of Vance, Granville and Warren's replacement buses are fully funded through the Volkswagen Settlement with the exception of Granville's electric buses that have a price tag of $411,558 apiece. The Volkswagen Settlement covers $306,558 for both of Granville's electric buses.

By comparison, Vance County's diesel replacements come in at $121,955 per bus.

Aside from the Volkswagen Settlement replacements, Perdue also reported in the Nov. 29 Building and Grounds Committee meeting that the district had been able to add 12 more buses back to operation compared to last year.

"We continue to recruit and retain drivers," Perdue said, "so we may further reduce ride times for our students."