Students at Jefferson and McKinley Elementary Schools could be walking into an air conditioned building by this next school year. The Ottawa Elementary School Board approved installing geothermal energy at a special meeting Tuesday.
Superintendent Cleve Threadgill says the district had a short time frame to use about $5.7 million in federal COVID education funds that will pay for the project. He says this has been an important issue to families and members of the board.
With the school board’s approval the two schools will also have other projects done over the summer, including asphalt removal and water pipe replacement.
Threadgill says he hopes the projects will be done by the start of the next school year.
He says Lincoln Elementary School will have to be figured out by the board later on. The school isn’t covered by the federal funding.