Parkway School District families will see a new cooling system at West Middle School after the Board of Education approved a $2,015,000 installation contract on Wednesday, Oct. 14.
The board awarded the work to Integrated Facility Services, Inc., according to meeting minutes. The project includes a replacement cooling tower, two chillers and an integrated thermal ice bank storage system. Asbestos abatement, drainage work and concrete sitework are also part of the scope.
The district expects the project to be substantially complete by April 16, 2027.
The equipment itself was purchased separately. The board approved that procurement from Trane US Inc. at its Sept. 9 meeting.
All of it is funded through Proposition S bond money. Parkway voters approved the no-tax-rate-increase bond issue with more than 76% support in November 2022. Prop S is paying for building repairs, technology upgrades, accessibility improvements and facility work across the district through 2028, according to the district's project tracker.
Central High renovation nears $10 million
At the same meeting, the board approved a $224,884 increase to the ongoing Central High School renovation, pushing the project total to $9,890,408.
The original contract with Poettker Construction was approved in October 2024 at $8,591,306. The four new change orders cover relocating the athletic department's laundry room next to the football locker room, demolishing a boiler stack above locker rooms, additional asbestos abatement discovered during construction and plumbing code fixes in the varsity locker rooms. The district's director of facilities reviewed the pricing and found it fair and reasonable, according to the minutes.
That project is also funded by Prop S.
More facility spending
The board also approved $158,550 for Integrated Facility Services to replace gas-fired rooftop HVAC units at Central Middle School and Central High School, with work expected to finish by Jan. 4, 2027. That contract is funded from the facilities maintenance budget, not Prop S.
Board President Jeff Todd called the meeting to order at 5:30 p.m. at the Parkway Welcome Center in Ballwin. Six of seven members were present. Board member Tiffany Mapp Franklin was absent. The consent agenda passed 6-0, with board member Kevin Seltzer moving and board member Jeffrey Spector seconding.
Five residents addressed the board during public comments, including Chesterfield residents Cora Reppy and Evelyn Holm, who spoke about the Parkway Central Middle School Academy program.
