Okay. So, you're saying we can actually leave the tank here? That's an option. No, the tank is out already. Oh, it's out. It's completely out. Okay. It's now we're just dealing with the ground and any seage that is in the ground. That's all. Okay. The the uh EPA has said that that is a very clayheavy soil. So, that helps also in that it doesn't spread as much too. So, even in excavating it, you wouldn't have to take we don't think you have to take a lot out. But we we'll see and that. But again, I'll I'll bring that back to the board so you can make a decision on that. Okay. Thank you. All right. The HAC electrical upgrades at Early Learning Center in Talala. Um, as you know, uh, we awarded the contract to RL Soho pre-construction meeting was held on February 2nd. The only issue is going to be uh I shouldn't say an issue, but it's something I just want to put on everybody's radar is the fact that the receipt of the chiller for these projects is about 20 weeks out.
Uh and that so it it it's going to be really tight and uh I will keep you up to date on as we go, but uh they are ordering it now. Mr. Swall's sitting there going, "Yep, we know that you know and that." So, it it's a ways out. Now, the good news is that we are putting some rooftop units into some of our larger areas like an ELC, the gym, the multi-purpose room, we'll have rooftop units that isn't affected by the chiller, which means, you know, if the chiller doesn't happen to get here on time, those areas will be air conditioned and so that will assist. But again, you know, our plan is that we think it's going to get here by the 1 of August. It's about a two-eek connection because all the other work will be done and we'll be on schedule.
Again, I just wanted to let you know that, you know, that could be an issue. All right. Life safety projects at HBAC Prep, both at Belmoral Creek, Kretta Scott King. Uh the bid documents will be going out in midFebruary. Um I'm going to ask and um I would like to make a recommendation and I think Dr. Ker shared this with the board about possibly moving the March 15th meeting to March 22nd. The reason for that, it gives us more time to get the bid documents out there so that we can get it at the March 22nd meeting. We don't think we, the architect doesn't think we'll have the turnaround time if we do it on the 15th. And if we wait till April to approve the contract, it's going to be too late for materials and all of that stuff. So, uh, I'm going to ask the board u, and to see if we can move that meeting from the 15th to the 22nd then, which is just a week later.
Okay. Um, the east wing. Ken, just a minute. Do you need them to make that decision now? I think Terry I I think Terry is looking into to see if we have to vote on that. Uh, because that would not be tonight. We would put that as if we have to vote on it, we'll put it as an action item next meeting. Got it. Okay. You know that. So, uh, go ahead, Terry. I was just going to defer to our attorney. [Music] Yeah. No, I I don't think we have to take a vote on it. I think that the board can reset its schedule just like it does. Right. Because there's just going to be enough time. We're giving the public enough time to uh make the necessary changes. Thank you. What is the pro what Ken? What is the what is the problem with staying on course with our regular schedule and just having a special meeting for to address Well, we we could have a special meeting to do that.
I I just don't know if the board wants to have a meeting just as one agenda item. That's all, you know, and then so uh I I'm open to either one, but I just thought it would be more prudent that we just w that meeting a week. I don't think it'll affect the personnel report at all. I think we talked to Mr. Deal about that. Um so I, you know, I think we would be okay. So, okay. I say I say we just move it to the 16th, celebrate, and then celebrate your birthday. We're good. I thought it would be key to move it a week because we're already having trouble with two meetings. Things are are busy to have like a third meeting. I prefer to not have a third meeting, but that's just me. I think if we have to take care of business, let's do it all at one time and it's only a week.
Okay. So, that's my feeling on it. Thank you. Um, also then the east wing of Crete Elementary, which is the area that is nonAVA compliant, that east wing over there, um, we'll be closing that down March 25th, uh, which is the last day of school before break, spring break for the rest of the year for asbestous abatement and mechanical room. We talked to the principal there. We also talked to the staff in that area because it'll give us a jump start. That part of that area is going to become our new mechanical room uh for the building and then we're redesigning the rest of it for some office space and all of that as part of the project and there is a lot of asbestous in there. So this will give us a jump start on it. Excuse me. And of course the asbestous cannot be done with children in the school.
So this will give us the opportunity to get the asbesus done. So, are you doing that only during the week that they're on break? Only during the week. Yes. And then after that, it's just regular construction. Yes. Well, and and let me clarify that, too. So, the regular construction will be after hours because I do not want construction going on while the school is in session. So, we're working out that and so has agreed with that. Okay. Uh Belmoral Elementary will see a new main office do the installation of water storage tanks. So, what this means is because that building is on a well and we're putting in a sprinkler system, then we have to put in water storage tanks to hold the water uh in case a sprinkler goes off. And you have to hold enough water to sprinkle the entire building. Now, I'm laughing because these tanks are probably 15 to 20,000 gallons of water and we got to put two in.
We're actually putting a small addition onto Belvor of about 1,300 square feet in order to fit these tanks in. Uh but we just have to do it because it's on the well. Where are you? It's it's taken over part of the main office that is there now in that area because that's going to connect into uh and I can bring clients to this or if you like to see them I can I can share that with them. And so then it'll connect into the mechanical room that is there. now also. Okay. Uh and re we're kind of rebuilding that mechanical room too. Thank you. All right. Sure. Uh and all of these buildings along with ELC and Talala uh will be closed for the summer on the last day of student attendance which I believe I think is whatever that Friday is March May 25th or 27th something like that.
So at 3 p.m. those buildings are shut down and construction is moving forward. LED lighting uh at Creek Ele or at Creek Mooney High School. Bid opening was the 24th. The project came in uh approximately $50,000 under budget um due and uh due to some incentives we were able to get. Um I will be bringing that to the board on the 15th. A recommendation to award the contract. I did put information in the FYI for this Friday for you because this was a little bit late. I couldn't get on the docket here to discuss it. But that information is in the FYI that you'll get on Friday. Um, and actually the savings, I will tell you this because I wrote this, but I just got done looking at everything, doing the figures. Um, the savings is actually going to be about $150,000 under budget from what we did.
So, and we also think we may get an additional some additional incentives from Kameed because, you know, certain board members work for Kameed. I did all I could. So, uh, but there are there may be some additional incentives we get which may make that even better. Um, and that does include the use of the $50,000 uh project grant that we applied for and we received too. So, so that that's some good news. Um, the addition at the high school programming will start with the architect uh in March of 22. That will really that programming will really be it'll start with Dr. Cara and Miss Perkins and that when they start looking at programming and then they will begin to involve people however they see fit and all of that. So that will start construction looks like uh we're kind of setting that for fall of 22 with the opening of fall of 23.
Okay. On the back are a couple of things that I'm also working on some other capital projects as I gone around the buildings and time to do some evaluations and that. So one is electronic signs and mares. Um, as you know, we have those at the high school and the middle school, but our elementary schools still have the oldfashioned. We got to go out, put up the letters, and they're falling apart. I'll just tell you that. So, um, I'm meeting with a contractor this week. Keith and I are, uh, to kind of get some pricing on these buildings. And these are the buildings. So, every one of our schools would have electronic marquees that would be able to be controlled from the school. So everything would be wireless the same way we have at the high school and we have over at the middle school on that.
Um we may phase it in. I may be able to get some stuff done this summer. Um I probably you know I'll let the board know what funds I'm going to use. I'm going to talk about some funds in the next project. Um but you know possibly use of some construction funds or as I mentioned the next one playground construction at ELC. Um ELC is in desperate need of having a playground that is ADA compatible and that um it it kind of is now. There's a ramp out there, but one of the problems we have in all honesty is the grass out there. Uh we have to bring lawnmowers through the building to cut the grass. Uh and it it you know it's just not conducive um a proper playground. So, I'm I'm working on a design with a company to actually put rubberized concrete out there and astroturf, all new playground equipment and all of that.
Um, in order to upgrade what is out there and to make it maintenancefree. Um, we have been allocated uh $1.2 million in IDEA carryover money that we found out about. The other thing that I will tell you is that uh FEMA just authorized and gave me another $31,000. Um and then I just got another $87,000 from uh emergency connectivity fund. I've gotten a bunch of money. So, um, while I can't use a lot of this idea money, I can use some of our current expenditures and have them allocated in this IDA money that frees up some money for the playground construction. So, again, it's a project that I'm working on that I will bring to the board and share with the board and then the board can make a decision on that. U, it will probably be, I'll be all honest, it probably is going to be up in the $250,000 range.
Pardon me. Yeah, you got 150 from your other one. Yeah, I know. No, I know. And that that's part of it. And the other thing to keep in mind, too, is is the uh projects for ELC and Tala came in a million dollars cheaper in the bid, too. So, you know, again, I I just think there's some opportunity that we could do a few little things here and there as we go and put those on our plate. Uh and then I would bring those to the board as discussion. Ken, what what is IDEIDA carryover money? I'm sorry. IDA carryover is special education money, okay, that in the past we did not use fully. Now, I will I will share with you if you remember back a couple years, our audit hit us for some money that we did not utilize all of our money. So, give you an example.
Let's say we are allocated in special ed money, which is IDA, a million dollars and but we only use 800,000. That money carries over. 200,000 will carry over. It can carry over from year to year. Well, we found that over the years now uh because of a consultant that that Miss Perkins had brought in and that we found that there's $1.2 million sitting there uh that we need to use or else we're going to lose it. And what types of things can we use it for? Um anything regards to special ed, but it has to be only special ed. Like, and I'll give you example. One year we purchased a the one of our white buses for transportation with IDA money, but only special ed students can use that. You can't use that for regular students in that. But what I can do is take some of our expenditures that we use in special ed like teacher salaries for special ed, get it reimbursed through here, and then use that money that I was going to use for salaries for the project.
So, it's just I mean, in all honesty, I'm juggling things. just moving around. That's all I'm doing so that we meet the As long as you have the receipts to prove that it's IDEIDA, you're fine. You don't have to use Exactly. regular funds. So, okay. Yes. [Music] when the board approved borrowing money for a certain project and the bids come in less than first thought. So you already capture the money but you spend less. What do you do with the rest of the money? Rest of the money just sits there. Uh I I I don't spend it. It sits in whatever fund it was in. So let's say it was working cash bonds, Mr. Brown. it'll stay in working cash bonds until such time as I would come to the board and say okay here is it okay if I go ahead and use this money for this project.
So looking at it from the outside, just say a bid came in, you you borrow money, the board approved to borrow money for $10 million, right? And the bid came in at $5 million. Now you have five million, for lack of a better phrase, disposable income, disposable money here. So what's the cut off? I mean, how far can that gap be before we say as a district, hey, we need to relinquish this money back to the taxpayers? Yeah, I think that's a decision that the board makes, you know, and and and what, you know, what their comfort level is and again, you know, do you look at some other projects, you know, capital projects that you can utilize uh the money for or do you keep it in fund balance? So, I think I think that's just a decision the board has to make. And it would be a timing thing, too, because as cheap as the money we got, we're getting it for.
Yeah. And and again I there's some of our bonds and again I I some of the I I'd have to get through my notes to explain this but there are some bonds that we have to use within three years. You know I don't know if it's taxable or non taxable. So there there's some of those things that we you know have to abide by that we watch so to make sure we pull from the right pool of money. But it's a good question on okay you know what do you do with that money. You know, my recommendation right now is again, you know, let it sit. You know, maybe utilize it for some of this or if I could, you know, again, like the $1.2 million in ID, I could I can juggle some things. So, I'm not using that construction money. But again, we don't know, you know, like we saved a million dollars in ELC and Tala, but I don't know if the other one is going to come a million dollars over, you know, and that.
So I think right now we sit there. But I think in a couple years, but at least Yeah, I I agree with you. Until the smoke clear, we got everything. Yeah, I think in a couple years then we take a look and see what the funds are and and then making the board makes determination about what they want to do with that excess money. Um either, you know, either abating it back to the taxpayers is one thing. Um whether you want to use it for part of a preventative maintenance program is another thing. Do you want to apply it to uh you know, athletic fields or addition at the middle school? Is that that's another thing? So there's a lot of different options there. Absolutely. I think it just lends itself for a conversation with the board at some time. Yes, it does. To say how we going to do it because again as a taxpayer looking out from the outside look it in say you you know you put out a resolution to borrow x amount of dollars and have the taxpayers pay x amount of dollars for this and now you did not use x amount of dollars.
you only use right a half of that. So what do you do? You know, I agree. So I agree. So I think I think it does for a future conversation. Okay. Thank you. Y okay. Thank you. Thanks, Ken. So uh next up, um press plus updates. Yes, thank you. Um as you know, this uh press plus was large. We've divided it into two parts. Uh I've asked you to review part two. I reviewed these with Mr. Brown at a meeting and I did create a cover sheet for you to kind of look through. Um again, the majority of these were some small legal references, some language changes, and for the majority of them, we would just just go ahead and accept as is for what I uh indicated on the chart. There are a few that I'd like to draw your attention to. Um the first one is item 660 which is the curriculum content.