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Brentwood UFSD lays out excessive-heat policy and three-year air-conditioning plan
Summary
At a June 5 Brentwood Union Free School District Board of Education workshop, Stacy O'Connor, assistant superintendent for finance and operations, presented a new excessive-heat policy, Policy 81-13, aligned with state guidance that defines excessive heat at 82°F and requires stepped responses; the district has bought about 150 window air conditioners for short-term relief and a three-year capital plan to add air conditioning to large spaces starting in summer 2026.
At a June 5 Brentwood Union Free School District Board of Education workshop, Stacy O'Connor, assistant superintendent for finance and operations, presented a new excessive-heat policy, Policy 81-13, aligned with recently adopted state guidance that requires specific steps when classroom temperatures reach 82 degrees Fahrenheit and additional measures at 88 degrees.
The policy sets a measurable standard for excessive heat and a set of stepped responses intended to protect student health and preserve instructional time. “The goal is to protect the health and the safety of students, make it a conducive environment to learning,” O'Connor said.
Under the policy, excessive heat is defined as indoor air temperature of 82°F or above, measured “three feet above the ground near the center of the room in the shade,” O'Connor said. District guidance lists immediate classroom-level steps staff can take when that threshold is reached: turn off lights, lower shades, use fans where available, open doors and windows when safe, limit electronics that generate heat and provide water breaks. The policy adds enhanced actions if temperatures reach 88°F, including relocating students to cooler parts of a building — gymnasiums, libraries, auditoriums or cafeterias — when available.
Short-term measures and budget status
O'Connor told the board the district has purchased roughly 150 window air-conditioning units for classrooms that currently lack air conditioning and is installing bottle fillers to encourage hydration. She said the district’s longer-term AC plan was included in the budget the board previously approved. The workshop did not include a formal vote on Policy 81-13 during the session.
Phased capital work
Bill Wispower of Tetra Tech Architects and Engineers, who the district introduced as its longtime architect for capital improvements, described a three-phase capital plan to add or upgrade ventilation and air-conditioning in large spaces over three summers, beginning in summer 2026. “We came up with a three-year, three-phase plan,” Wispower said; he outlined a program in which Project A (summer/fall 2026) would address gyms, cafeterias and library spaces at a subset of elementary and middle schools, Project B (summer 2027) would continue that work at additional schools, and Project C (summer 2028) would complete the program at the remaining sites.
Wispower described examples of scope in Project A — gym and cafeteria AC and ventilation upgrades at West Middle School along with a full auditorium renovation there, and similar gym, cafeteria and auditorium ventilation or AC work at multiple elementary and middle schools. He said some auditoriums already have AC but need replacements or upgrades.
Instructional-day constraints and operational responses
Board members and staff noted limits on closing school early to avoid excessive-heat days; O'Connor reminded the board the district must meet its 180-day instructional requirement and that closing late in the school year may not be a feasible remedy. She said staff will try to prevent classrooms from reaching trigger temperatures on forecast hot days by using the classroom steps described above.
Where the guidance allows, the district will relocate students to cooler areas and may use staged early releases only after considering make-up time and state requirements.
What happens next
No formal board action on Policy 81-13 or the three-year capital schedule occurred at the workshop; O'Connor and Wispower fielded board questions and described next steps for installations and phased construction. The district will proceed with short-term installations of purchased window units and follow the phased capital schedule beginning in summer 2026, pending routine project planning and contracting.
The district’s presentation emphasized staff and student safety, measurement standards for indoor temperature, and a combination of operational responses and capital work to reduce classroom heat. Further updates, project schedules and notices related to installations were described as forthcoming from district staff.
