BETHEL — A $4.18 million appropriation that would pay for improvements to Bethel High School’s heating, ventilation and air conditioning system will be up for a vote later this month.
A date for the referendum on the funding request was set during Tuesday’s special town meeting, with voting from 6 a.m. to 8 p.m. Jan. 12.
The high school’s HVAC system — which was not updated when the school was renovated from 2007 to 2009 — has posed problems for several years.
Freezing temperatures in January 2018 caused the heating and air conditioning unit in the high school’s gym, as well as other systems across campus, to fail. That forced the school to move some classes and install temporary heating systems until permanent repairs could be made. A large rooftop unit above the gym was so badly damaged that it had to be completely replaced.
If approved by voters, the money for the improvement work would come from bonding, bond anticipatory notes, temporary borrowing and/or other appropriations with available grants or reimbursements obtained by the town used to reduce the cost.
With about $1.5 million already allocated to the project — $700,000 from the school district’s Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief Fund grant money and $855,000 from the town’s American Rescue Plan Act funds — the school district is seeking more funding through the state HVAC Indoor Air Quality Grants for Public Schools program.
The Board of Selectmen has recommended that at least $1.7 million of the project be funded by the state grant.
