Decatur Public Schools are "Cool"

Some teachers in the Decatur Public School District were surprised when they showed up to their classrooms in August to prepare for the new school year. 

Unlike many new changes the school staff has faced this year, it was a positive surprise: their classrooms had air conditioning for the first time.

O’Shea has taken on a large, multi-phase project for Decatur Public Schools #61. A portion of that project includes the addition of air conditioning into existing elementary schools South Shores, Parsons and Franklin.

The O’Shea team tackled the A/C during a six-week period over the summer. And it was definitely a welcome change for staff and faculty returning to school during a week with temps in the 90s!

“I know the addition of air conditioning in schools that have never had it was a huge relief for our teachers when they returned this fall,” said Dr. Paul Fregeau, Superintendent of Decatur Public Schools. “With so much change to start the 2020 school year, this change in particular was certainly welcomed.”

Tight Timelines during COVID

Adding A/C to rooms that didn’t previously have systems meant a lot of construction. O’Shea modified the ceilings and lighting in these classrooms and faculty spaces. The workers cut openings into the roof to install the air handling equipment and then ran ductwork from the roof down into the spaces.

What proved most difficult was the interruption of supply chains due the coronavirus pandemic.

“In a normal summer, a construction schedule is tight; add in COVID, and it’s even more difficult,” says Brian Beneke, O’Shea senior project manager. 

Since March, O’Shea has had protocol in place for social distancing and wearing masks when distance isn’t possible, like crew members installing components together. Receiving equipment on time has also been a struggle during this season.

“Some of our big vendors have been impacted and closed down in March. But we’ve had good teamwork to get the things we need in the right locations,” Brian says.  “We were thankful all of our deliveries happened in late July, so we were able to put these units in place really quick.”

Partnering with ENTEC

O’Shea partnered with ENTEC for this A/C project. ENTEC, based from Peoria, specializes in cutting edge technologies, from retro-commissioning to building performance analytics.

For this project, ENTEC installed the building HVAC automatic controls system, which syncs each thermostat under a common network to give the facilities department remote control over the A/C units.

O’Shea has had a longstanding relationship with ENTEC. “They share many of the same corporate philosophies as O’Shea, and our cultures and community align,” Brian says. “We know ENTEC brings excellent service to the table.”

Cooled Off, Now Full Steam Ahead

The multi-phased project has a tight schedule, but Brian says O’Shea is still on track. While one concern was the availability of subcontractors at this point in the season, that hasn’t become an issue.

“All of these projects are off to a great start. The work that remains are building additions, which will cause a lot less interruption to traffic flow in the schools,” Brian says. “We were glad to complete these air conditioning additions, and we’re where we want to be for the next phase.”