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MCPS: HVAC failures and air‑quality problems make holding schools and HVAC funding urgent priorities
Summary
MCPS staff told the committee HVAC replacement is the top systemic need; staff said 40 school HVAC systems are not functioning properly and that replacement times are long without holding schools; they recommended planning for dedicated outdoor air systems (DOAS) and holding facilities to speed projects.
Montgomery County Public Schools told the council that heating, ventilation and air‑conditioning (HVAC) systems present the most urgent infrastructure risk. Staff said many systems are past useful life, some are so old replacement parts must be custom‑manufactured, and humidity control was not built into older systems—contributing to mold and poor indoor air quality.
Andrea Swiateoka and other MCPS staff said replacing a high‑school HVAC can take up to two to four years under current conditions because work must be sequenced around the school calendar. ‘‘Presently, right now, we have 0 secondary holding schools in the county. 0. This is a significant choke point,’’ the superintendent’s team said, arguing that short‑term investments in holding facilities would allow faster, safer replacements with less disruption and lower total cost. Staff recommended a combination of full HVAC replacements and targeted DOAS installs to correct humidity and IAQ issues in higher‑risk buildings.
Councilmembers pressed for short‑term mitigations—temporary units or other stopgap measures—in buildings with acute problems. MCPS said they are using classroom sensors (temperature, CO2, PM2.5) to triage where conditions deviate most from acceptable ranges and to inform prioritization.
