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Parents press Winslow board on school heat, HVAC delays and fan safety; district cites tariffs and procurement limits
Summary
Parents at the April 9 Winslow Township Board of Education meeting urged the district to address heat and air-conditioning problems in school classrooms; administrators said long-term HVAC projects face price and procurement hurdles and warned that some donated fans or inflatables could be unsafe or noncompliant with fire code.
Several parents and community members used the public-comment period on April 9 to press the Winslow Township Board of Education about heat and air conditioning in schools and to ask whether interim measures — fans, donated equipment or GoFundMe campaigns — could help.
Resident Jacqueline Buck described starting a petition and seeking to donate fans after classroom temperatures worried parents of children with health needs. The superintendent and other administrators responded that the district has pursued HVAC upgrades, including work done during the COVID period to improve ventilation, but that larger projects (air conditioning) face practical limits: the administration said contractors did not bid on earlier multi‑million-dollar projects after tariffs and supply issues sharply increased equipment costs. The superintendent noted that projects originally estimated at $6 million have escalated (the high-school project figure cited in discussion grew to $17.5 million in the district’s accounting) and said the district has been trying to fund work from operating funds rather than asking voters for additional taxes.
On the question of donated fans or inflatable devices, the transcript shows the district and the fire marshal expressed safety concerns: the fire marshal reportedly advised that certain inflatables and some fan placements would not meet code and could create hazards for young children who might put fingers into devices. The superintendent said window units were not a practical or cost-efficient option because electrical upgrades and the number of classrooms make that approach infeasible.
A parent asked about running a GoFundMe to raise money for schools; the superintendent said the district does not establish or endorse GoFundMe campaigns on behalf of the school district and that community groups may pursue private fundraising but the district will not run a GoFundMe itself. Board members and community organizations described local efforts — gift-card drives and drop-offs at community locations — to support a family the board voted to assist financially.
Ending The superintendent said the district will continue to pursue long-range HVAC projects while remaining mindful of costs and procurement constraints; in the near term the district will examine only safety-compliant interim measures and rely on community partners for private fundraising.
