Nineteen of the district’s elementary schools without air conditioning will see some relief on hot days as the district has decided to install air conditioning units that will provide cooling for 25 percent of classrooms at each school. Funding will come from the district receiving an unexpected $3.7 million additional in state revenue this year. The district was notified in May that the state unexpectedly increased anticipated revenue. This is a one-time increase. The district has estimated it would cost $13.6 million to fully air-condition classrooms and libraries at all 19 schools.
Superintendent Karen Sullivan said as a former elementary principal, she has first-hand experience of how uncomfortable it can be in classrooms on excessively hot days. “It would be wonderful to be able to fully air-condition all 19 schools, but this is a good way to provide relief to students and staff and stay within our budget.”
Administrators made the recommendation to the Board of Education to use the additional funds in this manor for several reasons: Ongoing major funding will not be required to sustain the initiative; the increased time for students to be in cool areas is significant for learning; the District’s Heat Committee, comprised of parents and staff members, recommended installing these cooling units; and with the significant increase in cool classroom space available, the district will be less likely to lose state revenue from closing schools on hot days.
The district’s heat plan calls for students to rotate through the handful of air-conditioned spaces currently available in the school on excessively hot days. With the increase to 25 percent of classrooms being cooled, principals anticipate a significant increase in student time spent in air-conditioning as the number of spaces to rotate students through will increase.
Individual cooling units will be installed in classrooms, with condensers placed on the school’s roof. The work will begin during the 2014-15 school year and be completed when students return in August 2016.
Administrators made the recommendation during a budget update at the July 14, 2014 Board of Education meeting. You can view the PowerPoint from the meeting and also watch video from the budget presentation.
