Cooler temperatures the past couple of days may have provided some relief, but there are still warmer days ahead.
There’s no other way to say it: It is hot in schools. Please know that we hear you. We empathize with you, and we’re doing everything we can to address the heat. Unfortunately, there is no quick or inexpensive fix.
This update has information about what PSD is doing about the heat now; a forthcoming school year calendar survey; and an air conditioning feasibility study.
Air conditioning feasibility study
McKinstry, a third-party energy management and building efficiency firm, is analyzing the cost and feasibility of installing air conditioning in PSD schools. The results of that study will be presented at the Sept. 26 PSD Board of Education meeting. One of the significant challenges associated with the potential installation of air conditioning in several schools is the cost, which is anticipated to be in the hundreds of millions of dollars. If the district were to secure funding to move air conditioning projects forward, the installation of cooling systems would take many years. With up-to-date information from McKinstry’s study, we will assess possible next steps as a district. It is likely that PSD could only install air conditioning in multiple buildings without A/C with the future support of voters.
Communitywide calendar survey
- Every two years, the Calendar Committee asks the PSD community to give input about school year calendars. Survey feedback informs the creation of future calendars.
- The recurring survey will go out to all PSD staff, parents/guardians and secondary students in an email around early October. The survey will also be available on the PSD website, so any member of the community may respond.
- This survey is NOT exclusively about heat, but respondents are asked to share their thoughts on how different calendar options, like beginning the school year in September and extending it into mid-June, among others, may address some of the temperature-related conditions in our schools.
- Please share any and all suggestions in this survey. It is an important tool that the Calendar Committee uses to develop its annual recommendation. Although the Calendar Committee must balance numerous, competing interests when creating school year calendars, it is always open to new ideas.
Steps we’re taking now to make buildings as comfortable as possible
Building HVAC automation systems pull in 100% fresh, cool night air from 3 a.m. to 8 a.m. Building dampers are then closed when school starts to trap the cool air. This helps to keep internal temperatures lower as external temperatures rise during the day.
- Classrooms have multiple fans.
- Shades are drawn on windows, where possible.
- There are breaks during classes to refill water bottles.
- Swamp coolers are being used, where feasible, along with portable air conditioners.
- It is a districtwide expectation that all exterior doors at PSD facilities remain closed and locked during school hours. Interior doors may be open but must be locked in the event of a crisis, according to our Standard Response Protocols.
- Many of PSD’s schools were built decades ago and, for some time, air conditioning was not seen as a cost-effective addition to the building’s mechanical systems. Thirty-three schools do not have air conditioning.
Temperatures have been rising in our region and across the globe for years. We know that sharing information doesn’t solve the issue before us in PSD – and school districts across the country – but believe it helps with our community's shared understanding of it.
Thank you for your patience as we navigate these challenges and your continued partnership.