School looks to upgrade high school heat

By CHRIS PETERSON

Hungry Horse News

Columbia Falls School District 6 is seeking bids on a project to upgrade the heating system at the high school.

The school currently has steam heat and it’s hard to control on an individual classroom basis. Some rooms get too hot, others too cold and it’s hard to control the heat in between.

The district estimates it will cost about $7 million. The new heat system would use hot water and would be more adjustable.

The district has no plans to float a bond for the project. It has about $5 million in federal Covid-19 relief funds that can go toward the project and another $550,000 from the sale of the old junior high school.

The remainder will be paid through capital reserve funds in the high school’s budget.

The high school is 62 years old. It was completed in 1960, but for the most part, is still in good condition structurally.