Cool start expected this year for West Aurora High students

Returning to school Wednesday in the B Wing at West Aurora High School should be no sweat for students and staff.

Thanks to the $84.2 million voters last year agreed to spend on building construction, the rooms should be comfortable, as geothermal heating-and-cooling systems were installed this summer.

"We don't want to have conversations about 'Do we need a heat day? Do we need water?'" Superintendent Jeff Craig said.

The geothermal installation is part of a long list of projects at schools throughout West Aurora District 129.

The teachers in those B-wing classrooms can control the temperature in each room individually with the new system, as each is connected to individual mains in the field.

Students will also be able to get around the massive building a little quicker, as they added a corridor between the B and D wings.

A rejiggering of the library has provided small rooms, for studying or working on projects. The kitchen has been enlarged to accommodate dishwashing machinery. That means the school can start using real tableware and much fewer disposable items, community relations director Tony Martinez said.

And in about November, students will get to use a new field house, Veterans Memorial.

Student parking will be disrupted to start the year, since parking lot re-dos got a late start. Parking permits will be issued in phases, as spaces become available, according to Angie Smith, the district's assistant superintendent of operations.

Geothermal systems were installed at Schneider, Goodwin, Hall, Freeman and Nicholson elementary schools, and at Washington Middle School. In 2013, the district dismissed classes early some days in the fall because of high temperatures inside classrooms that did not have air conditioning. In 2015, it moved classes and delivered bottles of water to some classrooms during a September heat wave.

Four rooms were added to Fearn Elementary School.

Precast walls for the gymnasium of the new Hill Elementary School have been delivered, with more expected for the rest of the building in September. "We are making good progress," said Pat Dacy, capital projects manager.