Hancock Schools seeking SBA support for Weir HVAC project
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NEW CUMBERLAND - After receiving funding earlier this year to address temperature needs on one of the county high school campuses, Hancock County Schools officials are hoping to get help to do the same at the other.
Hancock County Schools Superintendent Walter Saunders announced Monday he and Maintenance Director George McIntosh had met with representatives of the West Virginia School Building Authority to submit a request for funding to benefit the Weir Middle and Weir High campus.
"We are doing a chiller replacement project there, so we have an ask with the School Building Authority," Saunders said.
This will be the second request for such a project in the last year, with Hancock County Schools previously applying for funding for the replacement of Heating/Ventilation/Air Conditioning systems at the Oak Glen campus.
The district submitted that request in May, asking for close to $1 million, with the hope of receiving funding for both Oak Glen and Weir.
The application was recommended by the West Virginia Board of Education in June, with the SBA agreeing to allocate half of the requested funding through its Major Improvement Project grant program.
"They provided almost $500,000 for Oak Glen Middle and Oak Glen High School to replace the chillers there," Saunders noted. "We’re hoping to get additional funds to go with our bond funds to take care of the chillers at Weir High and Weir Middle."
The replacement of HVAC systems at Weir High, Weir Middle, Oak Glen High and Oak Glen Middle were among the projects included in the bond levy approved by voters for Hancock County Schools in November 2024.
If approved, the bond levy funding will serve as a match for the SBA grant.
Saunders anticipates a decision on the funding request to come sometime in December.
The school district currently is seeking requests for qualifications from vendors on the Oak Glen projects, with details available on the Hancock County Schools website.
(Howell can be contacted at chowell@weirtondailytimes.com)