Trustees on the Richardson ISD board voted unanimously Dec. 16 to replace the heating, ventilation and air conditioning system at Lake Highlands High School.

The district had planned to hold off replacing the HVAC system until the next bond, expected to go before voters in 2021. However, Assistant Superintendent of District Operations Sandra Hayes proposed to expedite the project since the current system is unable to meet the needs of the school and was deemed at the end of its useful life in 2014, she said. Hayes also said that the system in place has needed work and new parts to keep it running.

“We are concerned that [the system] will not make it until after 2021—that at any particular time this entire unit could have to be replaced,” Hayes said. “So this is a project that has to happen, it’s just a matter of when you want it to happen.”

Hayes also said now is the right time for the project since Lake Highlands is already under construction and that waiting to replace the system would become more expensive over time.

“We anticipate about a 18-20% added to this cost each year that this project is put off, given the cost of construction and materials that we see now,” Hayes said.

Construction costs for the new HVAC system are estimated at $5.5 million, while the total cost of the project, including planning and development, will total $6 million, according to Hayes. The replacement will be paid for through the district's local capital projects fund, intended for one-time expenses.

Construction is expected to begin around spring break and wrap up before the 2020-21 school year begins in August.