The cost of replacing Carrollton Elementary’s heating, ventilation and air-conditioning system will be lower than expected.

Isle of Wight County’s School Board voted unanimously on Jan. 16 to award the job to Chesapeake-based JRC Mechanical, the lowest of three bidders at just under $5.7 million.

That’s $1.6 million below the $7.3 million Isle of Wight County Schools had expected to spend as of last fall. The highest of the three bids was $8.7 million.

Division officials blame the circa-1993 school’s failing HVAC system for recurring problems that include the recent detection of black mold in classrooms. Deputy Superintendent Christopher Coleman said last fall that visible mold found in a classroom closet in the spring was traced to a leaking water pipe, prompting the relocation of students and staff from that room while repairs were made. Later in 2024, schoolwide testing for mold returned results showing elevated levels of penicillium and aspergillum spores as well as stachybotrys, or black mold, prompting another round of cleaning and the use of high-efficiency particulate air, or HEPA, filters.

By replacing the entire system, “this will be a 30-year fix,” Coleman said at the Jan. 16 meeting.

Isle of Wight County supervisors voted in September to authorize financing of more than $7 million. Coleman said the School Board could eventually return the remainder to the supervisors for reallocation to other projects or to pay down the principal and interest on the loan.

But he’s recommending the School Board hold off doing so until the HVAC replacement is complete in case any unexpected costs drive up the price once the work begins.

RRMM Architects, which the division had separately retained at a cost of just under $466,000 to produce architectural and engineering drawings for the HVAC project and to oversee the bid process, “would highly recommend for the school system to hold onto a portion of the money for construction contingency,” Coleman said. “… We can anticipate these change order costs to range from 1% to 2% of the project, and that’s between $85,000 and $114,000.”

IWCS previously retained RRMM as its architect for the replacement Hardy Elementary that opened its doors in 2023.

IWCS anticipates the JRC will begin the work this spring.

Isle of Wight County’s 2024-25 budget includes $9.5 million in local funding for one-time expenses tied to its school system, the majority of which was earmarked for the HVAC project.