Ottawa Elementary board begins process to get air conditioning for schools

School district will use emergency relief grant funds

The ventilation systems at Jefferson, Lincoln and McKinley elementary schools in Ottawa will be seeing upgrades sometime in the near future after the Ottawa Elementary School Board opted to begin the process of earmarking Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief grant money for the project.

Superintendent Cleve Threadgill said the first ESSER grant is due June 30 and will have about $2 million available. The first grant will go to Jefferson School.

The next grant has $3 million available and will be submitted in July to use for summer school in August.

“It’s the goal of the board to upgrade Jefferson, Lincoln, and McKinley ventilation and cooling,” Threadgill said. “The grant deadlines have expedited the process of exploring all options for improved ventilation and cooling at our three elementary buildings.”

The ESSER grant was created as part of the CARES Act to help elementary and secondary schools offset the effects of COVID-19.