AIR-CONDITIONING PLAN FOR CENTRAL HIGH SCHOOL BUILDING DRAMATICALLY LOWERS ORIGINAL ESTIMATES

The Cape Girardeau Board of Education has signed off on a $600,000 plan to air condition Central High School. That may sound like a substantial sum, and it is. However, when you consider that the original cost estimate to air condition the building was $4.3 million, district administrators deserve considerable credit for developing a workable alternative to keep costs down.

The original proposal called for installing a central system. However, the age and design of the school made the price tag just too expensive. Superintendent Dan Steska consulted with architects looking at other renovations at the building to come up with a less costly option.

Under the current plan, a central system will be installed to cool the school's auditorium. Individual room units, similar to those found in hotels, will be placed in each classroom.

Electrical upgrades to accommodate the plan will begin this summer. The whole project is expected to be completed by the fall of 2002. At that time, a new high school building should be open, and the newly air conditioned building will become a junior high.

The Board of Education approved the plan last week, but the latest cost figures are already $60,000 less than what the board agreed to. Taxpayers should recognize the district for its money-saving efforts.