NAUGATUCK — The Board of Education this month approved replacing some of the heating units at Andrew Avenue Elementary School.
The board awarded the bid for the work, which will include replacing the units in eight classrooms and three offices, counting the main office, to action Action Air for $125,944. The Manchester-based company submitted the lowest of three bids for the job.
Some heating units at the school failed this past January when the temperatures fell into the single digits, leaving some of the classrooms without heat. The units were fixed at the time.
The school is the only one in the district that has electric heat rather than a gas or oil boiler, which means rooms are heated individually.
Assistant Superintendent of Schools Christopher Montini said the units at the school are inefficient at heating and use lots of electricity. The new units will not only be more efficient, but will have the ability to air condition parts of the school well.
“It is really a wonderful thing to be able to provide,” Montini said.
This will make Andrew Avenue one of only three schools, including Naugatuck High School and City Hill Middle School, in the district with at least partial air conditioning.
The eight classrooms and three offices make up about one-third of the school building, Montini said.
Replacing some of the units will also allow the district to see if the new units are the best option before installing them in the whole school, he said.
“It will allow us to analyze, assess and, in next year’s budget perhaps, take a look at a few more,” Montini said.
