What’s next for Union’s school buildings: HVAC, roofs and more

Students, staff and families in La Porte City and Dysart can expect another round of changes inside Union’s schools as the district prepares heating, cooling, roofing and other building improvements.

The upcoming work reaches all four schools, including the middle school gym, elementary gym equipment and a preschool classroom. The district’s published plans place much of the construction in 2027, with the high school’s larger HVAC and fire alarm project extending into summer 2028.

Before that work can begin, the district is checking the affected HVAC areas for asbestos. Superintendent John Howard told KRTR Local that Eocene Environmental Group will perform the testing and evaluate the results as part of the existing improvement project. Howard said the district does not expect asbestos to be found, but any detected material would have to be addressed before HVAC work proceeds.

What’s coming to each school

At Union High School in La Porte City, plans call for replacement of heating, ventilation and air conditioning equipment identified in the project design, along with fire alarm upgrades to meet code requirements. Multiple roof sections are slated for replacement or recovery. Planned interior improvements include flooring, ceilings and cabinetry.

Those projects affect the building where students and teachers spend their school days and where families gather for school activities. The district’s tentative schedule places most of the high school HVAC and fire alarm construction during summers.

At Union Middle School in Dysart, the district plans to remove the boiler and piping, add unit heaters and add heating and cooling in the gym. That brings the improvements directly into a space used for physical education, athletic practices, games and school gatherings.

The middle school plan also includes replacement of approximately 50,000 square feet of roofing, interior improvements and renovation of restrooms near the main entrance to make them accessible. The restroom work would serve students and staff as well as visitors attending activities.

At Dysart-Geneseo Elementary, planned HVAC work includes replacement of the gym air handler—the equipment that circulates conditioned air—and the addition of heating and cooling in a preschool room. Roof repairs and interior improvements are also included.

At La Porte City Elementary, the district plans to replace the gym air handler and provide for ongoing HVAC maintenance. Roof repairs and interior improvements are also part of the plan.

When to expect the work

Union’s Summer 2026 project presentation lists high school HVAC and fire alarm bidding for mid-December 2026 or early January 2027. Its tentative construction window runs from May 2027 through July 2028.

HVAC work at the middle school and both elementary schools, along with the middle school restroom renovation, is projected for spring and summer 2027. High school and middle school roofing work is also projected for that period, with its scope and timing dependent on the HVAC designs.

An August 28 district announcement likewise identified HVAC and roofing as upcoming projects, with bidding expected in December and construction to follow in late spring or summer.

Those dates remain projections. The published materials do not yet identify specific room closures, changes to athletic schedules or other restrictions during construction.

The improvements are funded through borrowing against Union’s allocation of Iowa’s statewide one-cent sales tax for school infrastructure, known as SAVE. The district says that funding approach does not increase local property taxes.