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Milford board approves purchase of fans for classrooms after months‑long air‑conditioning debate
Summary
After facilities staff outlined engineering constraints and multi‑year costs for central cooling, the Milford Board of Education voted to direct administration to buy two fans per classroom that lack any cooling, with funding to be identified in the 2026–27 budget. The vote follows debate over equity, temporary fixes and longer‑term HVAC investments.
The Milford Board of Education voted on July 13 to direct administration to buy two fans for every classroom that currently has no cooling, citing the immediacy of summer heat and uncertainty about how quickly larger HVAC projects can be completed.
Chair Miss Glennon moved the directive and the board approved it after discussion. "So I make a motion that we direct administration to purchase, 2 fans per classroom that needs it, using funding from as appropriate from the 26‑27 budget," the chair said before the board voted in favor. The motion was seconded and carried.
Facilities staff had earlier presented a technical assessment that framed the board’s choices. Facilities staff reported the district is responsible for roughly 514 classrooms; about 208 have some monitorable HVAC system (rooftop or split systems), roughly 174 rooms have either window or portable units, and roughly 133 classrooms lack any cooling. "We probably have about 514 classrooms that we take care of. And out of those 514, 208 of those have some sort of system in there," a facilities presenter said.
Staff explained why temporary fixes are imperfect: single window or portable units often cannot dehumidify or serve large rooms, many classrooms have limited electrical capacity and some window types (hopper windows) require glazing modifications to accept units. Facilities estimated some short‑term purchases and labor: the district has purchased about 140 portable fans at about $440 each (approximately $61,000) and estimated a larger, district‑wide retrofit (window‑unit support, glazing, electrical upgrades and possible rooftop/VRF installation) could run into the millions; staff noted state reimbursement rules (district cited a reimbursement rate of about 36.79%) and the long lead times for components such as switchgear.
Board members debated tradeoffs. Several members said temporary fans would at least provide immediate relief and psychological benefit for teachers and students, while others urged targeted investments at the known worst‑hotspots (second floors, sun‑facing classrooms) and emphasized an engineering assessment before larger purchases. One board member said the district should not shift the burden to teachers or community fundraising and called for the district to own the decision.
Equity concerns surfaced: some classrooms already have air conditioning because of documented medical or IEP needs; others have none. Staff said medical‑need ACs are provided by note under ADA/IEP processes and would continue to be prioritized. Board members asked for a breakdown listing which schools and classrooms lack cooling to help advocacy and city budget discussions; staff said that list is available and will be shared.
The board asked administration to identify the specific funding source in the 2026–27 budget and to return with an implementation plan, vendor choices and an installation timeline. The board did not approve large‑scale HVAC construction tonight. A longer‑term plan that relies on capital improvement projects, engineering design and state reimbursement remains the recommended path for permanent district‑wide cooling.
