DYER BROOK, Maine — Students at Southern Aroostook Community School will not need to wonder if their school will be properly heated this winter.
During a special board meeting Monday, the RSU 50 school board approved a bid from Stiles Construction of Dyer Brook for a concrete pad to hold four propane tanks to be used for the school’s new heating system.
In addition, the area will include a 6-foot high chain link fence and 10 concrete barriers to prevent any vehicles from crashing into the tanks.
Jon Porter, who was named the district’s superintendent/high school principal in June, said the $2 million renovation project for the 42-year-old school building is expected to be paid for through savings in heating costs by making the building more energy efficient.
The need for a new heating system at SACS has been known for a number of years. The previous system was original to the building and featured two outdated oil burner furnaces that used No. 5 fuel oil. That oil was difficult and costly to acquire, Porter said.
Back on Jan. 3, students at SACS had to be sent home when the boilers failed at the school. That move prompted school officials to start the process of replacing the heating system this summer.
The Siemens Corporation did an evaluation of the school and came up with a plan to replace the building heating system, as well as replace a number of inefficient windows at the school. The resulting cost savings, estimated at $110,000 per year, will be used to pay for the upgrades over a 17-year loan period, minimizing the impact to local taxpayers.
“We will not be using 40-year old boilers anymore, so that is a huge relief,” Porter said. “This project will pay for itself over time.”
Included in the project are rebates and incentives through Efficiency Maine.
Porter said there will be some out of pocket cost to the district. Construction of the concrete slabs will cost about $22,000, while the purchase of the four propane tanks and vaporizers will cost about $54,000.
The district also entered into a 5-year contract for delivery of propane with Dead River Corporation.
Porter said it was important to note that there will be no impact on the district’s budget, which was approved by voters back in June. He also expects the bulk of the work to be completed before the start of the new school year. Some minor additional work may be required once classes resume.
