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Board Votes to Air-Condition Remaining Classrooms
At their meeting on May 15th, the Board of Education voted unanimously to install new unit ventilators which will heat and air-condition the eleven remaining classrooms that still do not have air-conditioning. The last two additions to the original Trevor Grade School added classrooms that were air-conditioned. The large 2011 addition is entirely air-conditioned through the geothermal system and seven classrooms in the original building were also air-conditioned at that time. Eleven rooms remain without air conditioning, most in the Middle School and two third grade classrooms.
Principal Ted Gavlin sees the improvement as another step in achieving the District's Strategic Plan. "Our District's Strategic Plan talks about creating an environment for learning and now every classroom will have improved air quality and cooling. It's another part of accomplishing the Strategic Plan. We just removed one more barrier to learning."
Middle school students are particularly excited about the change to air-conditioning. One seventh-grader explained that "it's terrible hot after gym. It's a better idea." Another student added that "It will help us pay attention. It stops all the talk about how hot it is." A third pupil summed it up – "It will be awesome!"
Staff members are also pleased. Seventh-grade teacher, Julia Rubert felt that it will affect the amount of student learning, particularly during the warmer months of the school year. "I think that it will improve students' focus. It's hard for students to do much when the room is hot." Middle School science teacher, Stephanie Volden agrees. "Students struggle to stay focused in the afternoon at the end of the school year in a hot classroom. We refer to it as 'the afternoon meltdown.'"
Board President Tom Steiner points out that the new unit ventilators will come equipped with electronic thermostatic controls which are more accurate and efficient than the current pneumatic controls which are outdated and do a poor job of regulating classroom temperatures. "We look forward to saving money from a more efficient heating and thermostatic control system so that more of that money can be used for education."
The Board received four bids for the project and awarded the contract to the low bidder, United Mechanical. The money will be taken from a special Capital Projects Fund which was established by the Board for building improvement purposes. The new unit ventilators are scheduled to be delivered at the end of July and will be installed in August, in time for the start of the new school year.
