BEATRICE – The Beatrice School District is replacing one of its vans and a rooftop cooling unit at the Beatrice Middle School, which has failed.
The District 15 Board approved purchase of a van for up to $51,000, replacing one damaged in a severe hail storm this year. Superintendent Jason Alexander says there are two sources of funding.


"We did get our insurance claim back on vehicles and we also received a grant from the Thomas Foundation for the purchase of vehicles as a result of that hail damage...so we will be using those funds to pay for this vehicle."


By board approval, the district will contract with Johnson Controls to replace the cooling unit on the middle school which affects the school’s library, at a cost of $53,439. The school district will use funding from a second round of Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief funds to pay for the unit.


"It will be touch and go whether it will be able to be in place this spring. But, Johnson Controls has offered some portable units to be able to cool that library space for us, if it does get hot, this spring. We'll have to wait and see. That will also be a situation that requires a crane to lift the old unit off the top of the building and put the new one on."


Alexander says the district may consider replacing a second van, next spring. Delivery on the first vehicle could come as late as next school year.