FPS

Fremont Public Schools Bond Issue Update

Operational & Energy Efficiencies

Fremont, Neb. – (Sep. 2, 2021) On September 14 the citizens of Fremont will have an opportunity to decide the fate of a $123 million, no tax levy increase, bond issue.  A major emphasis of the bond issue is being placed on indoor air quality and creating operational and energy efficiencies.

Washington, Howard and Clarmar Elementary schools will be completely rebuilt, Linden Elementary will have the 1950’s wing replaced and Milliken Park Elementary, an open space designed school built in the late 70’s, will receive walls for instructional and security purposes as well as indoor air quality improvements (IAQ).  A large portion of the High School will also receive indoor air quality improvements and code updates.

When people think of IAQ they automatically think about the HVAC system.  The IAQ designation in the district’s list of projects to be funded with the proposed bond issue goes well beyond the HVAC system and truly represents a total reconditioning of the interior/exterior building components.  Buildings built in the 50’s, 60’s and 70’s did not place an emphasis on energy efficiency.  Boilers were used to heat and single pane windows were opened to cool, air exchange and bringing in fresh air were not priorities.

In 1999-2000, when the District passed a $29.9 million bond issue, air conditioning the elementary buildings was a major component.  At that time, state of the art rooftop units were placed above the corridors in elementary schools with two purposes – provide A/C in the cooling season and fresh air during the heating season.  The rooftop units were researched and the end result was to purchase and install units which featured a fresh air component and an energy recovery system. The past two weeks of hot weather are examples of times when the District would have released students early due to the heat in the past.  During the pandemic, having appropriate air turnover has been key in limiting the exposure of the virus in the classrooms.

In 2010, when Johnson Crossing Academic Center was built, a system that utilizes the earth’s constant ground temperature was installed for feeding the classroom heat pumps.  This system called ground source geo-thermal utilizes a series of closed loop wells to pre-heat/pre-cool the water that is looped throughout the building.  With this system, the heat pumps are starting the process of heating and cooling water that is at a constant temperature.  On days when the temperature outside is 96° and on days when the temperature outside is 12° the system utilizing the series of wells begins the process at approximately 55°. These types of systems have now been used in schools in Nebraska for approximately 20 years.  

Nebraska and Fremont are positioned well geographically for the utilization of ground source geothermal systems.  We have a balanced number of heating and cooling days and being positioned above the Ogallala aquifer is a major advantage.  In some communities the substrate below the surface may be granite or limestone and although they do have the ability to shed heat they are nowhere near as efficient as the water infiltrated sand based aquifer.  

When looking at the energy efficiency of these systems typical buildings will experience a reduction in energy consumption due to improved building technology, when coupled with LED lighting even greater efficiencies are experienced. Ground source geothermal systems will be utilized in the new buildings and evaluated from a cost/benefit perspective for renovated spaces. 

One of the goals of the overall project is to minimize the impact on the community’s energy resources.  With ground source geo-thermal and LED lighting being utilized for the new elementary schools, the CTE center and the renovations at the high school, Howard, Washington and Clarmar, will be nearly energy neutral while providing increased square footage and student capacity.  “Not only will the District be saving money in their operational budget, they will not be placing a burden on the Department of Utilities grid space. As the city continues to grow this becomes even more important,” stated John Delaney of the Morrissey Engineering team.

Areas of the buildings receiving IAQ upgrades will also have a complete refresh of the interior finishes – painting, flooring, ceilings, etc. and all building envelope systems. “For all intents and purposes the buildings will be modernized and have a new look and feel to them,” said Jeff Glosser, FPS General Operations Administrator.

The three new elementaries will have four classrooms of each grade level.  “Not only does this model create the efficiencies outlined above, over the long term it reduces the Districts’ need to build additional buildings.  By moving from two and a half or three section buildings to full four section buildings you, in effect, gain the equivalent of an additional elementary building through the process.  The core spaces are more efficiently utilized and the eye to the future is there to accommodate additional students,” said Brad Dahl, Associate Superintendent. 

The design for the new elementary schools will be rooted in the Bell Field elementary school floor plan.  Bell Field, which opened in 2001 has many spaces within the building that are completely relevant to the current and future needs of educational delivery models.  The site at Bell Field accommodated a core hub based design with classroom pod areas around the perimeter.  The new elementary school design will be more linear with the core areas aligned and the classroom pod areas protruding from them.  The linear design will work well with the sites and will allow for construction to take place with minimal disruption to the existing learning environment.  “The architects will spend considerable time working with teams of teachers to identify what really works well in their current classrooms / buildings and what improvements can be made to better accommodate instructional needs,” commented Dahl.

Beyond the energy efficiencies the larger sized elementary buildings will provide for operational savings and allow for the District’s specialists time to be utilized for instructional purposes.  “The District has traveling specialists in the areas of art, music, library/media and physical education.  We have individuals that provide special education services – many of which serve multiple buildings.  Having larger elementaries, serving more students at a location, allows for less travel time ultimately providing a more efficient and effective model,” stated Kevin Eairleywine, executive director of elementary education.  

Larger buildings with more sections in each grade has proven to be a more efficient staffing model making it more effective to balance class sizes.  Having one to three section buildings –  balancing class size within the building over grade levels is difficult, it is even more difficult when comparing class sizes from across the District.  “Although student achievement data is not necessarily directly correlated to class size, classroom management becomes a challenge the larger they get.  Accommodations related to spacing is something the District has been challenged with in dealing with the pandemic and other annual illnesses,” concluded Eairleywine.

“The opportunity presented with the no tax levy increase bond issue provides our students with a better environment more conducive to learning and the community a giant leap forward in providing a more efficient and effective model. These improvements ultimately save the taxpayers money in the long run,” stated Caryl Johannsen, co-chair of the Task Force for Kids campaign committee. 

Ballots were mailed out August 26 and are due back in the County Clerk’s office no later than 5:00 pm on September 14.

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The mission statement of the Fremont Public Schools is to produce creative, adaptable, productive citizens committed to lifelong learning.