The Karns City School Board approved advertising for bids to renovate the high school gym and install new heating and air conditioning units on the roof.

The board authorized Canzian/Johnston and Associates to design the project and agreed to advertise for bids.

Superintendent Eric Ritzert said the board’s action at Monday’s meeting involves replacing the part of the gym roof and steam driven ventilators, which are original to the building constructed in the late 1950s or early 1960s.

The project also includes sanding and refinishing the gym floor, replacing a set of bleachers, installing new basketball backboards and rims and replacing a broken divider door with a drop down curtain, Ritzert said.

Seven sections of the roof will be replaced, and the ventilators will be replaced with rooftop heating and air conditioning units, he said.

“The gymnasium area is original to the facility and some of it dates back to the late 50s and early 60s. The ventilators are steam driven. They’re also from the 50s and 60s. They’re original,” Ritzert said.

Other sections of the roof were replaced in the 1990s, he said.

The ventilators work well, but now is the time to replace them with modern heating and air conditioning units because the roof is being replaced, he said.

However, the age and safety of the steam driven units is a concern and air conditioning will make the gym more comfortable, he said.

The new heater will be a hot water system, which the rest of the building has, Ritzert said.

The gym floor has been sanded and refinished before and can withstand one more refurbishing that will last 10 to 15 years before it has to be replaced, he said.

The board has meetings scheduled for April 9 and April 23. Bids are due before the April 23 meeting and board should be able to award contracts for the projects at that meeting, Ritzert said.

In addition, the first review of the proposed 2018-19 budget will be conducted at the April 23 meeting, he said.