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Superintendent: districtwide air conditioning would cost about $53 million; board to consider staged approach
Summary
Superintendent told trustees a full districtwide air-conditioning plan carried an estimated cost of $53,000,000 and recommended against pursuing a single tax-supported project that would require a large tax increase; staff and trustees discussed staging, state aid timing and targeting the hottest spaces instead.
During the superintendent’s report, the superintendent said the district studied options for districtwide air conditioning and that the initial estimate for a full system was $53,000,000. "I was not expecting the number to be $53,000,000," the superintendent said, and recommended not pursuing a plan that would require an estimated double-digit tax increase. Instead, the superintendent advocated staging work or targeting the hottest spaces—cafeterias or gyms—or rerouting instruction to air-conditioned spaces as a less costly approach.
Trustees and district financial staff discussed staging to maximize state aid and noted that portions of the project currently are unaidable; staff cautioned that staging could push the project timeline back (a target finish of summer 2027 could shift to summer 2028 depending on funding and building constraints). The superintendent also noted portable, vented cooling units are available for limited classroom uses and that students with documented needs can receive priority cooling access.
