The Washington Community School Board was informed during their recent meeting of a $58,000 rebate the district is receiving for the HVAC and electrical work done at Lincoln Elementary last summer.

Superintendent Willie Stone announced that they qualified for the rebate from Alliant Energy, which will cover additional expenses that came up during the project. Stone also shared about preparations for the HVAC project in the 1960’s wing of the high school. The project is scheduled to begin on May 25th, but Stone shares he is working with Principal Teresa Beenblossom to see how asbestos abatement can begin sooner in some northern most classrooms while school is still in session, “I’ve tasked Teresa with trying to figure it out, how we can get them in a week earlier. That abatement for us is going to be what holds up everything else. So [if] we get the abatement done just a little earlier that just gives us more time to get everything else done.”

Stone mentioned that asbestos abatement in the locker commons area will close off that part of the building for five to six weeks, so they hope to do some of that work during spring break and when students are in the building. Stone said he and construction manager Carl A. Nelson were pleased with the bid numbers for the project which were awarded in December for a total of about $3.74 million which will mostly be funded by COVID-19 Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief dollars. The district is also getting ready for the middle school construction project, which is anticipated to be let out for bid in November.