By Caitlin Doermer
Parry McCluer Middle School will finally improve its heating system after years of pursuing the upgrades.
The city of Buena Vista will accept $550,000 in stimulus money to make the school more efficient. The loan comes from the federal government, but the state has the power to allocate the money to schools in need.
Acting Superintendent Mary Holm said heating problems have plagued the school for decades.
“When it’s on, it’s all the way on,” she said. “If you want heat at all, it’s going to be 85, 90 degrees.”
At least one former students says it’s about time. Renae Conner graduated from Parry McCluer High School in 1997, when the high school and middle school still shared the building.
- Parry McCluer Middle School expects to upgrade this boiler, which was first installed in the 1950s. Photo by Caitlin Doermer.
“The school is extremely old. It needs to be renovated,” Conner said. “I’m just glad they’re making some positive changes.”
Schneider Electric, a global company specializing in energy efficiency, expects to sign a contract in October and begin work this winter. Project Manager Barry Wilhelm said his company will update the boiler, replace steam traps and improve pipe insulation to evenly distribute heat across the school.
And if all goes well, it won’t cost taxpayers any money.
School Board Chair Darryl Knick said the savings on the school’s energy bill will be enough to repay the federal stimulus loan. Schneider Electric has even guaranteed that if the yearly savings fall short of the $34,000 bond payment, the company will cover the difference.
The upgrade has been in the works since 2009. That’s when Buena Vista City Schools first applied for a loan. Based on the poor condition of Parry McCluer Middle School, the application was approved. But in order to accept the loan, the city had to hold a special referendum. In November 2010, the citizens of Buena Vista voted “yes” to the bond.
But just before Buena Vista accepted the money, the state called the deal off. Former School Superintendent Rebecca Gates said she got a letter from Gov. Bob McDonnell’s office saying the loan would not be issued.
“We were really disappointed because we passed this bond, we were ready to roll and then the plug was pulled,” said Gates.
McDonnell’s office said the project would decrease Virginia’s bond rating, which determines how much the state can borrow from the federal government. Many assumed the city’s pre-existing golf course debt was a major factor.
But by late summer, McDonnell had changed his mind and put Buena Vista back on the list for the federal stimulus money.
Knick is glad the money will fix the problems, while still preserving former students’ memories of the school.
“The great thing about this bond is that it allows us to make the school more efficient and safer,” he said, “and we get to keep what everyone thinks about with Parry McCluer, the front of that building.”