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Rapid City schools order early releases as district weighs HVAC upgrades
Summary
Rapid City Area Schools announced early releases at buildings with limited or no air conditioning and described plans to fund long-term HVAC upgrades, while the superintendent said decisions are made from multiple environmental measures rather than a single temperature threshold.
The Rapid City Area School District announced early releases at schools with limited or no air conditioning this week, citing current classroom temperatures, forecasted heat and humidity, cloud cover and the effectiveness of nightly air exchanges, Superintendent Dr. Thompson said.
Dr. Thompson said the facilities team reviews multiple factors — not a single fixed temperature trigger — and meets when temperatures are forecast to reach the 90s. “We always make our decision based on keeping students and staff as comfortable as possible but most importantly as safe as possible,” Dr. Thompson said.
The district has reserved recurring capital outlay funds for HVAC projects and listed significant HVAC upgrades in its master facilities plan, Dr. Thompson said. That line item is intended to support multi-year work that will “reduce and eventually eliminate the need for heat-related early releases,” she said.
At the meeting board members and staff confirmed two near-term projects: Blackhawk Elementary already has air conditioning and the Rapid Valley Elementary expansion will include AC. Board member Mr. Sassy said Grandview is also on this year’s capital outlay list and that project design will start this year.
Board members asked about whether the district should reconsider next year’s school calendar to avoid the hottest weeks of August. Dr. Thompson said she will form a calendar committee to develop two calendar proposals — one similar to the current calendar and one that would start later — and solicit feedback from parents and the community before bringing recommended changes to the board.
Board members pressed for clarity on how the district decides to close for a full day. Dr. Thompson said the district has not closed entire schools for heat and that decisions are complex because some classrooms and building zones can be significantly hotter than others. Facilities staff said the district uses classroom-temperature monitoring in selected rooms to inform decisions but acknowledged that not all rooms are monitored and conditions can vary by orientation and building design.
Officials emphasized the district will continue to evaluate buildings annually and address HVAC projects as funds allow.
Looking ahead, Dr. Thompson said she expects facilities improvements to be a recurring, multi-year effort rather than a one-time fix.
