GONZALES — The Gonzales Unified School District Board approved a waiver to get heating, ventilation and air conditioning units in various buildings on the school sites that are in dire need at its Sept. 26 board meeting.
“The waiver allows us to not have to go through the formal bid process because we are requesting it as an emergency to get HVAC units in the main areas that attract a lot of business,” said Mary Dawson, assistant superintendent of business services.
The waiver would have to be approved by the board members and then it would go through the county superintendent, who would have to sign off on the HVAC (Heating, Ventilation and Air Conditioning) unit installation.
The HVAC will be funded through a bond that also includes Fairview Middle School and La Gloria Elementary School. The funding of installing HVAC systems at Gonzales High School would have to come from Gonzales Unified School District budget.
“We did put air conditioning in this A building, but there is no air conditioning in the Social Studies Department, Science Area, the 50s and there may be some work that needs to be done in the portables and the ag building,” said Superintendent Liz Modena. “Basically, we have air conditioning in the portables, but we do not have air conditioning in the older buildings.”
According to Director of MOT Trinidad Zavala, the school district is going to push the HVAC units to be installed within two months after approval.
“If we did not have this waiver, we would have to wait for a longer process,” Modena said. “We wouldn’t be able to start it until the summer.”
