CHINO VALLEY, AZ- The Chino Valley Unified School District is happy to announce that it has received approval to move forward with a long-awaited HVAC improvement project for all campuses. The entire program is being funded by the State of Arizona through Arizona School Facilities Oversight Board (SFB) grants at no cost to the CVUSD. 

“We have been waiting a long time for this,” said CVUSD Superintendent John Scholl. “Swamp coolers just aren’t effective in the high humidity we experience. These upgrades will help our students and staff stay alert, focused, and better able to concentrate on their teaching and education.” 

Scholl added that the CVUSD has been working to get this project funded and completed for the past 12 years.

During monsoon seasons, when the Chino Valley area can experience temperatures in the 90’s and above with high humidity, classroom temperatures can exceed 80 degrees with the current swamp cooler system. This not only impacts the comfort and concentration of the staff and students, but also poses health risks and, in extreme cases, could warrant the consideration of “Heat Days” where classes could be postponed or cancelled.

The project, which includes installing new HVAC units as well as roof rehabilitation (sealing and other needed maintenance), comes in at a total cost of $26,645,782 and has been 12 years in the making.

During the project, which is expected to begin in October and last approximately 18 months, some classes at Chino Valley High School, Del Rio Elementary School, and Territorial Early Childhood Center will be moved to temporary portable buildings, while the Heritage Middle School campus will be able to utilize existing space to fill their classroom needs. The cost of these portables is included in the overall cost approved by the Arizona SFB.

The individual campus costs are:

CVHS:

HVAC- $7,384,270 Roof Rehab- $2,402,396

HMS: 

HVAC- $5,046,099 Roof Rehab- $809,722

DRS:

HVAC- $3,949,443 Roof Rehab- $796,289

TECC:

HVAC- $5,419,260 Roof Rehab- $838,303

Contractors participating in this project include Pueblo Mechanical, Progressive Roofing, and emc2Inc.

The project has been spearheaded at the CVUSD by Chris Sherriff, CVUSD Director of Maintenance, and John Livingston, CVUSD Director of Business Services.

Updates on this project will become available as it progresses and will be shared to the CVUSD social media outlets, links available at www.chinovalleyschools.com.