“15 years ago, we’d have a couple hot days,” English teacher Maria Angelone said. “But now, we have a couple months of hot days.” The temperature in Angelone’s classroom has reached as high as 101 degrees Fahrenheit. “I actually got sick that day,” she said. “I had to leave my classroom.”
With the rising temperatures, teachers have become frustrated with how long it has taken to get air conditioning into their classrooms. Although the District initially unveiled their plan to install A/C in 2022, due to the lengthy approval and reviewing process, A/C units have still yet to be installed. “I was really disappointed,” French teacher Sapna Bhagwat said. “I was hoping that we would have it this summer.”
The District’s project plans to install permanent heating, ventilation, and A/C (HVAC) systems at four campuses and upgrade the electrical infrastructure necessary to support the new systems. “This is a very large and comprehensive project, with a total price tag of over $49 million dollars,” District Superintendent Crystal Leach said in a District-wide staff email before the start of the school year.
“You may be frustrated about why this project is not yet complete and feel that I don’t understand how difficult it is to teach in a hot classroom,” Leach added in the email. “I assure you that I understand your concerns and share your frustration.”
A big reason for the project’s delay is the multiple, time-consuming assessments needed for its approval. At the time of Leach’s email, the project was still pending approval from an independent review conducted by the District, and from the Division of the State Architect, which oversees construction in K-12 schools.
Once approved, the District estimates the project will take over a year to complete, though some teachers are worried it could take even longer. “Any time you’re dealing with infrastructure, it’s going to take a while,” English teacher Lara Gill said. “It’s a bummer, but at least we’re moving.”
Large class sizes can worsen the effects of teaching in a hot classroom. “We have a large number of students in here, so even with four fans going, it’s unbearable,” Bhagwat said. Students can lose energy and focus in the heat, making learning difficult.
“I get instant stress when I see that the temperature is going to be 80 or above,” Angelone said. Angelone said that she sometimes has to change her lesson plans to cope with the heat.
M-A allows teachers to move their students to an air conditioned classroom during the hottest parts of the day, but teachers like Angelone are hesitant to do this because it disrupts their class.
Despite their frustrations, teachers are glad the District is being more communicative about their plans to install HVAC. Leach’s email is the first written communication teachers have received about the project. “I’m grateful that they’re trying to be as fast as they can be with it, for the sake of students,” Gill said.
