Work started last week on heating, ventilation and air conditioning replacements for Marion High School, which was installed in 1981.

“We knew it would happen eventually,” school superintendent Aaron Homburg said. “Those things only work so long.”

The school was fortunate that winter was mostly over when the boiler stopped working, he said.

“In the middle of the winter it would have been a big headache,” he said. “It actually quit working at the end of March or beginning of April.”

The system lasted almost double its expected lifespan, which came with its own challenges, Homburg said.

“You hope anything you put in now lasts 20 to 25 years,” he said. “The district is always preparing. We have a lot of HVAC systems and spend a lot of money keeping them up to date.”

Air conditioning wasn’t a concern because Marion uses window air conditioners.

Replacements are expected to finish by Sept. 1, Homburg said.