When Casey Morman, Maintenance and Facilities Supervisor, started in his position in February 2024, he knew overseeing the facilities of an entire school district would be an extensive undertaking, but his experience at Blanchard Valley Health System prepared him to embrace the challenge. Now, having been in the position for almost a year, here is an update on what we have accomplished and the future projects we will be tackling.
Van Buren Families:
Back in September, you likely noticed the work we completed on the 209 S. Main project, which included the demolition of the house and outbuildings; installation of irrigation lines and curbs; widening of Vorwerk Street; removal and movement of power poles; and planting of grass. This property will provide a practice space for various groups next fall to offer facility flexibility.
Another addition to the exterior facilities is the wayfinding signage that was installed to help visitors who might be unfamiliar with the location of events taking place on our campus. We will continue to look for ways to add to the signage that has already been installed and update or remove outdated signage.
The soccer field has had many improvements made over the last two years with the addition of lights and a press box, but the need to maintain the facility continues. Trees and vegetation around the field need to be trimmed and sprayed yearly to keep them out of the field of play, and you might have noticed this past fall that the irrigation system was not overcoming the dry conditions. Upon further inspection, a crack in the current well casing was discovered. After exploring the cost to utilize city water to irrigate the soccer field or drill a new well, the most economical long-term option is to drill a new well, install a PVC casing that should last for decades, and utilize a new, larger pump to be sure the field provides a quality playing surface for soccer games.
General monthly and yearly exterior maintenance and updates also have to be on our radar constantly. Parking lots are used almost every day and night of the week and can quickly decompose if not maintained, so we seal and line the lots across the district on a three-year rotation. The next parking lot in the rotation to be sealed and lined is the new north lot which will already be two years old by the start of the 2025-2026 school year. Another easily forgotten but significant area to maintain is the roof on each building. The roofing contractor we utilize inspects each roof yearly and makes recommendations to us regarding what maintenance we need to complete so we can catch problems while they are small instead of allowing them to grow into significant expenses.
Both outside and inside, adequate lighting is important. It was discovered that the existing light panel that controlled the outside lights, including those in the parking lots, had failed, rendering it inoperable. After installing a new panel so the lights can function on a timer, we are also working to update the exterior fixtures and add lighting at the bus garage. Likewise, the lights on the bridge between the high school and elementary had stopped working after being installed 22 years ago, so those were also replaced. Finally, we have replaced the lights in the hallway outside the weight room with new LED lighting which lasts much longer and is easier to control. The intention moving forward is to install LED lighting in common areas while utilizing any available energy credits or grants to reduce cost.
Just like outside, there is routine maintenance that needs to be done inside the buildings, too. When fall came, we had to drain and winterize the chiller and start the boilers to provide heat throughout the winter. We also check the fresh air intakes in the classroom univents to ensure there is adequate air circulation to more efficiently heat the building and provide fresh air to reduce the transmission of germs. Once the prospect of warm weather arrives, the chillers are restarted and the boilers are maintained so they will be ready when needed next fall.
In November we entered into a maintenance contract with TRANE so we can maximize our preventative maintenance with the heating and cooling systems. Twice a year they will inspect the major pieces of equipment to allow us to identify minor problems before they become major and maintain the equipment to extend its life. They will also provide a maintenance update after each inspection so we can know about upcoming expenses for equipment replacement and plan accordingly.
Another priority we had last summer was to look at all of the exhaust fans in the district to maintain those that were still working and replace those that no longer worked. In addition to all of the bathroom exhaust fans, a new exhaust fan was installed on the roof above the HS/MS cafeteria to replace the one servicing the range hood and grills in the kitchen since 1975. The new fan was hoisted onto the roof with a crane as it was more cost-effective to replace the fan than to try to refurbish one that was almost 50 years old.
More new equipment is going to be installed soon to fix one problem and provide a facelift to another area. Because we have had some issues with the compressor for the walk-in cooler in the HS/MS kitchen, we will be replacing the refrigeration unit with new equipment. The restrooms in the fine arts wing will also be receiving a facelift consisting of new paint, lights, countertops, faucets, and auto flush toilet fixtures. Because of a generous donation from Legacy Marble and Granite, we will be able to do all of this work on the restrooms at cost. While these restrooms are the newest in the high school building, they have been in use since 2003 and are being given priority because updating them will require less extensive work. There are plans to renovate other restrooms in the high school, but because those are older, they will require much more work and might become capital projects which breach the $25,000 threshold.
Finally, we are aware of and looking into the impact Senate Bill 112, the Ohio Childhood Safety Act, will have on the interior and exterior doors of our buildings. We are in contact with a vendor and will be determining what we need to do to be compliant with the law.
As you can see, maintaining the buildings and grounds across our district requires extensive planning and collaboration with people both inside and outside the district, but it is a challenge we accept daily. We have a great facilities management team here at VB, and we will continue to work to make our facilities a source of pride in our community.
Sincerely,
Casey Morman
Without our facilities team and the work they do every day, we would not be able to achieve our mission of building thinkers, building experiences, and building connections. If you see any of them throughout the year, please take a minute to share your appreciation for the role they play in the success of our district.
To learn more about what is happening at Van Buren Local Schools, visit our website at vbschools.net.
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