Embedded Files
Truman Public School
(Indoor Air Quality (IAQ) PROJECT 2025, 2026)
Funded through Long-Term Facilities Maintenance Program - Mn. Legislative Statute
Minnesota Department of Education (approved), Minnesota Dept of Labor and Industry (approved),
Mn. Building Codes (passed), Mn. State Fire Marshall Office (passed)
Summer 2024 - asbestos abatement lower elementary, 5 HS rooms, new flooring in lower elementary - Completed LTFM project
Summer 2025 - asbestos abatement - all remaining classrooms in HS, upper elementary, band/choir/ag classroom, library/contract approvals for IAQ project in 2026. In progress - LTFM project
Summer 2026 - new Boiler, new electrical entire building, HVAC units throughout the building for to meet ventilation codes, new LED lights throughout the building, new ceilings throughout the building, Fire SAFETY - sprinkler system throughout the building, upgraded fire alarm system. In progress - LTFM project
By clicking on the menu items above, there are eseveral documents to help explain the project,
tax impact as well as other detailed information.
Thank you for supporting our school, students and community. It is very much appreciated.
See below for Intrduction, Urgent Issues and Moving Forward
Questions on the project, can be directed to Truman Public School Board Chair
Mike Pfeil - pfeilm@truman.k12.mn.us and/or Superintendent Lisa Shellum - shelluml@truman.k12.mn.us
Introduction
The Truman Public School has embarked on a 2 year multi-million dollar building project. We are very excited to update the building for our community, students and familes and move forward into the 21st century without spending millions of dollars building a new school. This project began as building equipment issues continued to build up culminating with the district being denied building insurance coverage unless updates were completed as per the recommendations of the insurance company. Truman was not alone as many districts faced this issue. The district began working with Baker Tilly, financial advisors, The Minnesota Department of Education, to get approvals for potential required work on Indoor Air Quality projects, the district Health and Safety Coordinator, SitelogiQ Project Engineers and EMS insurance.
The IAQ project began with a consultation from SitelogiQ Inc. in February of 2024. The board asked them to do complete buidling site survey throughout the buildings and grounds. The areas that they focused on were mechanical including boiler, HVAC, the exhaust hood in the kitchen, electrical in all buildings, asbestos remaining in the building, age of roofs ,parking lot areas, windows, life safety including sprinkler systems and the age /efficiency of the fire alarm system. A report on this survey was presented in April 2024. In this report, there were many issues reported. The ages of the equipment in the building is presented by clicking on the Building Equipment Age Report on the top menu.
Urgent Issues
1) In the spring of 2022, the entire gym addition was flooded underground by a water main break. The district had to pay over $120,000 in equipment repair as well as indoor air quality prevention measures because of mold and other issues that could have had adverse effects. This was done successfully for safety. Other air quality issues began to be studied and results reported to the board.
2) In the winter of 2024 the tunnels below the 1956 pre-school and early learning wing had issues with steam traps failing. The boiler systems are in excess of 60 years old. The tunnels and pipes associated with the boilers are in some instances the same age as the oldest building erected in 1935. The leaking steamtraps in the tunnels caused extensive damage to floors in the lower elementary/pre-school daycare wing. There was extensive damage to the classrooms and the activity room. This was an insurance claim and it paid a portion for floors to be replaced. In order to complete the project, the floors contained asbestos and they had to be abated properly before any new flooring could be installed. This was completed in the summer of 2024. The activity room flooring completed in the summer of 2025.
3) In the spring of 2024, the district survey resulted in the district being required to start serious conversations about the state of the buildings and the district future. As reported and known because of the age of the buildings, these reports came back unfavorable and in their inspection included serious threats such as evidence of previous fires in the tunnels over time because of electrical issues, broken steam pipes that were patched, several "fuse" boxes that have not ever been updated, antiquated elecrical panels, original ceilings and lights which are not cost effective and many other issues. The district has spent thousands of dollars in repair costs each year which continue to rise. Another serious issue that has been reported on yearly was the air quality in the building. Several rooms contiually reported inadequate ventilation per legislative guidelines. Aged and antiquated products and systems including univents that need to be updated, asbestos flooring, asbestos contained in ceiling tiles, piping and insulation are a few of the major issues cited based on air quality. These were among many issues discussed and are all documented in the document entitled System Age Summary in ithe above menu.
4) Insurance DENIAl came in the form of a letter in April of 2024. This letter required that updates be done to all of the buildings or insurance coverage for Commercial property, General Liability Occurrence, Commercial Automobile, Linebacker and Umbrella Liability would cease on July 1, 2024. The district faced not being insured and was temporarily denied coverage because of the age of the following: electrical, boiler system, roofs, asbestos abatement, and other concerns. All of these upgrades were required to be completed in order to be insured. The district checked with other companies and found that there would be similar issues because of the age of the buildings and systems. All of these required upgrades are included in the project.
5) The wiring in the 1935 building is 90 years old, and electrical in all of the other buildings was put in when they were erected with no upgrades from 1957 – 1962. There Many electrical distribution panels are from 50 to 90 years old. The boilers (2) are 30 and 50+ years old respectively. The majority of the steam runs throughout the building are 65-90 years old. The building has unit ventilators that are from 25 – 65 years old and need to be updated because of the legal compliance issues with air quality. Lights are original to building dates in the majority of the buildings and use flourescent bulbs which are not effiecient.
These upgrades will ensure that the building is properly ventilated, has a new heating system, new ceilings, lights, 100% asbestos removed inall areas including classrooms, tunnels, piping, upgrades flooring in specific areas, all mechanical systems will be on systems controls monitored 24 hours per day. NEW fire suppression sprinkling system throughout the building and upgraded fire alarm panel with voice enunciation.This will ensure that the building will be operational for years to come. These upgrades come with substantial district savings over the next several years.
Moving Forward
The district created a plan that included all of the required upgrades for insurance coverage and will also meet all other legal requirements. The Board or Education voted to approve the project. The dollar amount of bonds sold for the project was $12.7 million dollars. The projects agreed upon were to upgrade the boiler system to hot water heat throughout the building, bandon all unit ventilators and move to set HVAC rooftop units for air exchange and air quality as well as dehumidification. In order to provide the correct structure for these upgrades any room that does not have a drop- ceiling will be remodeled. There will be structural upgrades to the roofs to hold the weight of the units. The kitchen will receive a new hood to meet air quality requirements. The electrical systems including all wiring, lights and electrical panels will be upgraded. Asbestos abatement has been on a schedule since 2021 and the building will be completely abated by the August of 2026. The concrete floors in some spaces will bepolished, some have new flooring installed and some will receive carpet. In the spring of 2025 as the project was developing it was determined by Minnesota building codes that it would now require that more life safety measures be included. The plans were updated to include (fire) sprinkling in all buildings and a new voice enunciation fire alarm panel for life safety. This originally changed the cost of the project by many hundreds of thousands of dollars, but the district worked with Sitelogiq to value engineer the project down in scope so the same dollars will include the new addition of life safety measures.
Note: This project was started and published about since the the spring of 2024. There has been information regarding this project in the newspapers, discussed at board meetings and an invitation to tax payers to come to “truth and taxation” was extended last year in December of 2024. Board members and administration fielded many questions in person and through phone calls, made individual inquiries to taxpayers and consulted extensively which took many months. Please see the fullscope of the district upgrades, narrative on the project history as presented to MDE for approval as well as comparison charts to other school districts that have done facility upgrades to their buildings. The tax impact to our local taxpayers is minimal compared to our surrounding districts that have many more millions in tax burden and our building will be transformed, new, inviting and most of safe!
Questions on the project, can be directed to Truman Public School Board Chair
Mike Pfeil - pfeilm@truman.k12.mn.us and/or Superintendent Lisa Shellum - shelluml@truman.k12.mn.us
The following links are also found as separate links using the top menu bar
Full Scope of TPS Indoor Air Quality Project 2024, 2025, 2026 - This document includes 100% of the planned upgrades in detail.
Truman Tribune Bid Notice - Other articles on the project since February of 2024 to be linked at a later date.
School District Comparison Chart - Debt Service - Total Levy : This is a Tax Impact chart (end of narrative below) of Truman building project versus projects in surrounding school districts and levy costs. The end result will be a complete building upgrade that is updated, safe giving the students and staff optimal learning spaces for pennies on the dollar compared to all other surrounding schools. Maple River, Martin County West, St. James, Fairmont and Lake Crystal who all have building projects on their levies. **Without the upgrades, the district would not get building insurance and other options would need to be considered.
Tax Impact for TPS Project - The tax impact charts include the Ag to School Credits given to acreage. The State of Minnesota pays 70% of the tax burdgen for farmland. An explanation of this legislation for farmers is included at the end of the narrative.
Age Summary document Click 2538_001.pdf - Red lines show age of TPS systems. Black lines show age expectancy.
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