Wayne Elementary School Opens With Updates

With a commitment to preserving instructional programming and educational activities at Wayne Elementary School, the Radnor Township School District operations staff worked diligently with outside contractors during the past two summers to replace the school's 40-year-old heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) system with a new, energy-efficient geothermal system. Typically, a project of this sort takes a year to complete. But on Sept. 4, the new system debuted right on schedule, helping students and staff usher in the school year without interruption.

The new system follows in the footsteps of other environmentally friendly systems installed in RTSD schools over the past decade. Radnor Elementary School (installed in 2001), Radnor Middle School (2007), and Ithan Elementary School (2008-2009) are also outfitted with geothermal systems.

“We found that not only is geothermal a very efficient system to run in terms of cost, but it is a very effective system in terms of ongoing maintenance, utilization, and comfort," said RTSD director of operations Leo Bernabei, who oversaw the project.

This summer, WES’ music room, art room, main office and all classrooms were affected by the project. Core heating units were designed and installed in sound-insulated areas outside the classroom to reduce noise in instructional environments and allow access for service. A digital control unit is tied into the district's local area network to allow the system to be operated at the building level or from the RTSD administration building. According to Bernabei, this allows his team to learn more about the system and anticipate potential issues, which again helps limit interruptions to educational time. As of August 29, the project was right on its budget of approximately $7.5 million. 

New Library & Main Office 

New upgrades to the library and main office were independent from the HVAC project and were aided greatly by school and parent groups. Bernabei explained that new carpeting and shelving were budgeted in the district's five-year capital plan, but it was Sue Dahlstrom, WES' librarian, along with a dedicated group of parents who helped facilitate the other library improvements. Blackney Hayes Architects helped on the library project, providing design concepts and layouts. Most notably, Jeff Kirkner, the district's carpenter, built the reception desk in the main office, the circulation desk and teacher's workstation in the library, and all the shelving in the library's Janson Reading Room.

“The real credit always needs to go to the people behind the scenes who make it happen," Bernabei said. "The custodial staff, maintenance staff and technology staff worked incredibly hard to get this thing done for school opening. Teachers and other WES staff really worked hard packing, unpacking and being patient throughout the process."

Bernabei said his team will now monitor the system as the seasons change to ensure all the equipment is operating at peak efficiency. He added that there will be some hot and cold issues as optimal effectiveness is achieved. Still, the fact that students and staff entered their classrooms as scheduled on Sept. 4 with no signs of the building’s disarray just a month earlier is quite an achievement.

“It was a joint effort and it all came together," Bernabei said. "It’s beautiful."

See before and after photos.