A recent evaluation of Mineola school facilities by Performance Services tallied almost $7 million in needed or recommended improvements, one of which could be categorized as an emergency.

The electrical switch gear at the high school was identified as likely being as old as the building – more than 50 years old – with an expected life span of 30 years.

If it goes out, it will take about 20 weeks to get a replacement, meaning the school would essentially be out of commission.

As Superintendent Cody Mize concluded, “It’s one more thing to keep me up at night.”

He said the board will need to prioritize the needs, and start plugging away on them, some going on a “wish list.”

The recommendations are forecast to save the district $440,000 per year, primarily in reduced energy costs, ranging from switching to LED lighting to installing solar panels at the new Primary School and upgrading older equipment.

The report did include some good news, that roofs in need of repairs at the high school remain under warranty, which should save the district from $700,000 to $2 million.

Among the recommendations is installing all-weather turf at the baseball and softball fields.

Last year alone the baseball team could not use the field for 25 days due to wet conditions.

During a prior season, trustee Jay McGough noted that Mineola was not able to host any games until the start of district play.

The next step will be for Performance Services to conduct a 3-4 month investment-grade audit, taking a deeper dive into the recommendations. If the firm is not retained to then accomplish those improvements, the district would owe just under $40,000 for the review.

Trustees did learn that the district has received a $200,000 grant which will help with some of the lighting upgrades.

They also approved the requests to the Meredith Foundation to include $50,000 for scholarships, $94,000 for new playground equipment at the Intermediate School and $79,000 for new cafeteria tables at the Intermediate/Middle School.

Intermediate Principal Angela Shine said older playground equipment has been removed, as it was unsafe, and some small improvements have already been made, thanks to a fundraiser and work to build a gaga pit by the high school wood and metal shop students.