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Parents press Pelham district for interim cooling fixes while central AC project awaits 2027 work
Summary
Parents at the June 24 board meeting urged immediate, interim cooling solutions for Colonial School classrooms after days of extreme heat; district officials said a full HVAC conversion is planned for summer 2027 and that an electrical‑capacity assessment must precede any donated window units.
Parents urged the Pelham Union Free School District on June 24 to find interim ways to cool classrooms that became sweltering during recent heat, saying learning was disrupted and teachers and students were "dripping." Parent Ashley Mills, who identified herself and her three children, asked the board to prioritize rooms that already have electrical capacity so temporary window units could be used in the fall.
"We would really love if for classrooms in the fall that are powered and have electrical that we can find some interim solution so that they're not so hot," Mills said during public comment.
Superintendent Dr. Champ replied that the district has deployed window air conditioners on top floors but that middle floors at Colonial remain a problem because large cooling units draw significant electricity and the older classrooms require proper framing to install them safely. "What has the capacity, what doesn't, how much would it take to bring those rooms up to capacity," Dr. Champ said, noting the district is completing an electrical assessment before deciding whether donated units can be installed.
Parents and the incoming Colonial PTA president, Concetta Ude‑Okou, offered to help fundraise or source units. Ude‑Okou described classrooms with afternoon sun and limited tree cover that create intense heat in some rooms and said the PTA is prepared to support interim measures while the district moves ahead with a long‑term solution.
The board and administration confirmed a planned, large‑scale HVAC conversion that will provide central air and is scheduled to begin in summer 2027. "We're going to be spending 15 million dollars in the summer of 2027 to install the central air," Dr. Champ said during the meeting about the multi‑year facilities plan.
Board members and staff said safety and electrical work must be assessed before any interim installations. The superintendent and staff committed to return to parents after the assessment with options for targeted, interim interventions where electrical capacity and framing allow.
