Because of an immediate need, funding scheduled to be spent for cameras inside Sampson County School buses will now be spent on cooling systems in three elementary schools, school board member were told this week.

Salemburg and Plain View elementary schools will receive the new cooling systems, also known as chillers, within the next few weeks. Because Clement Elementary’s system went completely out, that chiller was replaced last week.

Cost to take care of the chiller system problems at all three schools is estimated at $155,800.

“We have chillers at most of our newer schools that act as a cooling system for the schools,” explained Anthony Vann, executive director of auxiliary services for Sampson County Schools during last week’s school board meeting.

“Each chiller has two compressors — these two compressors at Clement Elementary had both gone out. We had one go out, and we worked and tried to repair it, but they both are gone. We had to replace both of those, and unfortunately the price tag is about $76,000 for the two total.”

Although they were not completely gone, the chillers at Salemburg and Plain View are only running on one compressor at each school.

“At each school there is one 200 ton chiller and two compressors that work with that one chiller. Right now, Plain View and Salemburg are working off one compressor, which is an added strain. You can go in the building now and it is OK, but when it gets loaded up with students, it is going to be a stretch and it could go out at any time,” Vann stressed.

Instead of replacing both compressors at the two schools, Vann came up with the idea of putting two of the good compressors together at Plain View or Salemburg.

“If we took the ones at Plain View, we would get more use for them at Salemburg,” he said. “This way we are actually only completely replacing two chillers — at Clement and Plain View.”

The board had several options on how to pay for the work. One was to take money out of the system’s current fund balance, which currently sits at $1.78 million. The other was to use money the system is awaiting from e-rate ($180,000) that has been earmarked for the new technology building; the final, and most sensible one, according to superintendent Dr. Ethan Lenker, was to cancel the bus camera order.

Seventy-two of 136 buses in the county have cameras. Funding ($150,000 of capital money) was set aside to put them in this year. However, because of the urgency with the chillers, the cameras could wait, Lenker said.

“The chillers are something we need right now,” he said. “We can take that money and transfer that to take care of the chiller situation ... No, we have not budgeted for a $76,000 air conditioning unit at each school; with Clement, we had no choice. Plus the other two are going to be out soon.”

Vann agreed.

“If we put the other two on the back burner, the problem is they could go out and there could be at least a week and a half, two week wait for the parts,” he said. “It could take up to three weeks because they just don’t have $20,000 and $30,000 components on the shelves.”

“We need to get this resolved,” stated board chairman G.H. Wilson.

“So, you want to pull this money from where we originally had put this and transport this into a line item?” asked Lenker.

Before a vote was taken, board member Telfair Simpson asked who would be moving the compressors.

Vann told Simpson the manufacturer would be moving them.

“We are going to contract out to the Trane,” he said. “They are the manufacturers of those units; we are more comfortable with having them take those out and handling that equipment, and we can keep the warranty intact,” said Vann.

Trane estimated the charge to move the compressors would be $3,800.

“That is the reason why it is $155,800,” Vann said. “It is approximately $76,000 per school that gives you the $152,000 and then the $3,800 on to it.”

Wilson wanted to make sure the board was prepared to move the bus funding to a line item to pay for the expenses.

“Does anyone have a problem with moving the money like that?” asked Wilson. “I think we can go back and request that money (from the commissioners), but I don’t think that they will be willing to give any of it to us.”

“We also have prepared a budget amendment ready if that is what the board chooses to do,” said Lenker.

Mary Brown made the motion to approve and Roosevelt Wright seconded. The board voted to unanimously approve the line item to pay for the chillers for $156,000.

To reach Doug Clark call 910-592-8137 ext. 123 or send e-mail to sisports@heartlandpublications.com.