Fresno Unified trustees are scheduled to consider a $13 million contract with a Southern California-headquartered company to work on HVAC systems at 100 schools, including two charters.

Mesa Energy Systems, Inc., also known as EMCOR Services Mesa Energy, submitted the sole proposal for the project and was one of only two companies responding initially to the district’s request for qualifications, district spokeswoman Nikki Henry told School Zone on Tuesday.

EMCOR’s bid matches the total of grant money the district received — $13,128,780 — through the California Schools Healthy Air, Plumbing and Efficiency (CalSHAPE) Ventilation Program.

Under the design-build contract, EMCOR — which is headquartered in Irvine and has an office in Fresno — will “provide all necessary engineering, management, labor, and related services for HVAC assessments, implementation, documentation, reporting services, repair and maintenance, carbon dioxide monitor installation, filter installation, and control programming.”

And what’s the funding source for CalSHAPE? You are, through your utility bills. The law passed by the Legislature in 2020 gives the California Energy Commission oversight of the program, which is funded through a separate rate collected by utility companies.

According to a recent California State Auditor report, nearly $1 billion was budgeted for CalSHAPE — $742 million for HVAC and $241 million for plumbing. Thus far $659 million has been awarded for HVAC projects and $131 million for plumbing, with about $192 million potentially being returned to the utilities to be returned to ratepayers once the CalSHAPE program ends in 2026.

(School Zone hopes the California Energy Commission’s oversight includes making sure that the utilities hand over the unspent funds to customers who will be glad of a bit of relief on their ever-rising utility bills.)

Design-build is one of the district’s construction contract options. Less popular these days is the lease-leaseback contract, which the district is still in litigation over in connection with the construction of Rutherford P. Gaston Middle School in 2012. Then there’s the project-labor agreement for construction contracts that are designed to be union-friendly.

What will $13 million-plus buy? HVAC assessment and maintenance at 98 schools, plus Edison-Bethune Charter Academy and Morris E. Dailey Charter Elementary.

The design-build contract is on the consent portion of the board’s agenda for Wednesday evening’s meeting in the downtown Education Center.

Related Story: Will Fresno Unified Rent Apartments for Homeless Students?

U.S. Ed Department’s Ties to Fox News?

A recent news release from the U.S. Department of Education caught School Zone’s eye. The March 21 news release contained the logos of both the Department of Education and Fox News, for which Secretary Linda McMahon had penned “My Vision for Eliminating the Department of Education.”

Is McMahon not allowed to spell out her department-ending mandate on regular Dept of Ed stationery, School Zone wondered?

In a nutshell, McMahon says “government-run” schools have failed to educate the nation’s students while burning through a trillion dollars in federal spending, and that control must be returned to states and to parents.

“Parents should be able to decide what school their children attend, ensure the curriculum is free from political agendas, and choose a school that protects their children’s safety and well-being,” McMahon wrote.

” … As we execute President Trump’s directive, we will systematically unwind unnecessary regulations and prepare to reassign the department’s other functions to the states or other agencies — including funding programs for states to support low-income students and learners with special needs, the distribution of student financial aid, civil rights enforcement and data collection. We will end this system that has over-promised and under-delivered — and empower local education leaders to build something much better in its place.”

School Zone confesses to being a bit confused as to how this new funding structure will work. Will our federal tax bills go down because Washington has no need to collect revenues to fund the U.S. Department of Education once it’s eliminated? Will the funding for education that California taxpayers have been sending to Washington be collected instead by the state, through our state income taxes? And what kind of protections will remain for districts with lots of low-income students, like Fresno Unified?

School Zone hopes McMahon will provide more details in her next Fox News op-ed.

Kudos, More Kudos, and a Congressional Art Contest

• Every year Clovis Unified celebrates the accomplishments of a dozen or so juniors who have faced challenges such as the loss of a loved one or being homeless, but who have maintained their focus on their education. The 2025 Students of Promise will be recognized Wednesday evening at a red-carpet gala hosted by the Foundation for Clovis Schools and held at the Clovis Veterans Memorial Building. The 16 students selected this year will receive a Student of Promise scholarship when they graduate next year and start their post-baccalaureate education. They are: Ashton Linthicum, Alina Rodas, and Alina Zhaman, Buchanan High; Jackie Figueroa and Annahbellah Thao, Clovis East; Helena Andrade, Serenity Martinez, Ashley Muñoz Nuñez, and Baylee Wright, Clovis High; Ramzee Hamm, Clovis North; Briana Chavez, Lilliann Day, Aaliyah Kenyon, and Ben Sayalath, Clovis West and Alyssa Rivera and Caitlyn Rouse, Gateway High.
• Fresno Unified has won the 2024-25 Lynne Aoki Multiple Pathways to Biliteracy District Recognition Award for its development of dual language and multicultural programs and pathways that help students be proficient in two or more languages. FUSD met multiple criteria for the award, including hiring qualified staff, expanding biliteracy programs across the district, and recognizing students’ progress and achievement. The award is named for Lynne Aoki, a founding member of Californians Together who was focused on improving programs for English learners, and is presented by Californians Together, a statewide advocacy coalition.
• Aspiring high school artists who live in California’s 21st Congressional District (represented by Jim Costa, D-Fresno) will have a chance to have their work seen on the national stage. The 2025 Congressional Art Competition is open for submissions until April 16, and the winner will have his or her artwork displayed at the Capitol (in the Cannon Tunnel) and get a free trip to the nation’s capital. All kinds of artworks are eligible, including paintings, drawings, photography, mixed media, and computer-generated art. Need more info? Click on this link.