Resident urges air conditioning for middle schools; superintendent says retrofit would require major investment

Yanni Lambros of Lansdale used public comment at the Aug. 14 meeting to press the board on installing air conditioning in the district's middle schools, saying requests have been made for years and that lack of climate control can create unsafe conditions for students with medical sensitivities.

"We need air conditioning in the middle schools," Lambros said, adding that constituents and teachers have raised the issue repeatedly and that deferred maintenance has left some buildings in poor condition.

Superintendent Dr. Bauer responded that district staff have studied the feasibility of adding air conditioning to the middle schools. "In order to put new air conditioning into any of the middle schools now would require a major, major, major investment," Bauer said. He described needed upgrades including electrical service replacement, new HVAC systems, roof and wall modifications and additional conduit, and said that a retrofit cannot be done without significant structural and systems work. "It's not simply put AC in the school," he said, adding that the district evaluates projects for feasibility and payback.

Lambros said he was running for school board to bring what he called "common sense" and to press for maintenance and necessary upgrades rather than continual new construction. Bauer and other board members said they take the issue seriously and that staff regularly analyze such requests; Bauer invited follow-up and noted the district has considered the costs and structural limits involved.

Ending: No formal directive or vote was taken on the issue; staff said they will continue to evaluate facilities needs and the board will consider those analyses during budgeting and capital planning.