Eureka Elementary School’s $3 million HVAC renovation and rehabilitation project is at full steam — marking the completion of several aspects of the massive project prior to the start of school.

“I’ve been busy at Eureka,” said Tim Burge, project superintendent for Skanska, the firm managing the project, during the Aug. 8 board of supervisors’ meeting.

“We got the ceilings in, we got the kitchen going (and) we’ve got the mobile units in. I didn’t hear any complaints, so I’m assuming that everything went well as far as what I was responsible for,” he said.

During the meeting, Burge said some of the units had not arrived and were expected to be in this month.

“We’ll have the gym completed and the band area completed by the end of the month,” he said. Afterwards, Burge said the rest of the school will see work.

“It’s been a little stressful,” he said, “But, we did make it.”

Burge said he appreciated the work that the county and its leadership and staff involved in the process have contributed.

He said Larry Roller, the maintenance staff and Division Superintendent Dr. Nancy Leonard have all been helpful.

“The contractors Southern Air have done an excellent job and I’m expecting them to continue,” Burge said.

In February, the school board offered a presentation to the board of supervisors outlining the school’s budgetary needs and a six-year capital improvement plan.

School board members expressed an urgent need at Eureka regarding repairs for the heating, cooling and ventilation system.

The cost of the project is set to run $2.1 million for HVAC and electrical work and $400,000 for roofing. Skanska representative Curtis Elswick said in May that other components of the project would push the cost to $3 million.