The Allegheny-Clarion Valley School Board approved a 10-year, $3.69 million bond issue to help fund a $5.27 million energy savings project at both district school buildings.

The project includes lighting upgrades at the junior-senior high and elementary schools, replacing the high school roof, replacing the high school heating, ventilation and air conditioning unit and controls, replacing the elementary school windows, replacing the elementary school rooftop heating units, replacing elementary school plumbing, upgrading the high school science lab, replacing high school ceiling tiles and other improvements.

At a special meeting Monday, board members approved the bond issue that will be combined with a little more than $1.5 million from district reserve funds to pay for the project.

The board also approved a contract with the McClure Company, which conducted an investment grade audit of the district finances and hired contractors for the project, said David McDeavitt, district superintendent.

“We’ll have a kickoff meeting next week. We hope to get this project started before the end of the school year and we’ll have it done before the start of the 2018-19 school year,” McDeavitt said.

He said the annual debt service payments will be about $475,000, which is the amount the district is paying on bonds issued in 1994. The last payment in the 1994 bonds is due in 2019.

The improvements are designed to save the district $1.59 million in utility costs over 20 years, McDeavitt said.

McDeavitt said the board and administration have talked about those needed improvements for several years.

The project also includes modifying the entrances to both schools to add security vestibules that will require staff to let visitors into the buildings through a buzzer system, he said.

“It’s one more measure to increase the safety of our students and our staff,” McDeavitt said.

The new elementary school windows are being ordered now and some work can get started before the end of the school year, he said.

“I think it’s a real good project for A-C Valley and the surrounding community, and I’m excited to be part of it,” McDeavitt said.