Dist. 25 students sound off on A/C

You try being an eighth-grade girl in a non-air-conditioned school, Leya Allind told her school board on Thursday.

"Picture Day is horrible," said Allind into a microphone with her hand on her hip. "Your hair is all frizzy because you had to run a mile in gym class before the pictures. All the fans do is blow hot air everywhere. Kids are distracted and they fall asleep."

Allind and about 10 of her Thomas Middle School classmates all spoke in favor of air conditioning at Arlington Heights Elementary District 25 schools at a public hearing on Thursday. The board is divided on whether to spend $13 million to air-condition all nine schools, spend less money on alternative devices or spend money only at the middle schools and the second or third floors of elementary schools, since those floors are typically hotter.

The board did not vote or comment on the issue Thursday.

Besides the Thomas students, a few parents and about 10 teachers spoke in favor of cooling the schools. No one spoke up against air conditioning.

District 25 teachers said hot classrooms ruin students' attention spans, cause naps and lead to more water and bathroom breaks. The Thomas Middle School students gave much more descriptive reasons cooler classrooms were needed.

"It's unsanitary," said Avery White, an eighth-grader. "Students drip sweat all over the desks. Then the bell rings and the next group come in and sit in the same seats."

"How would you like to work in a place without air conditioning?" said Lauren Kelley. "I'm always trying to get my legs unstuck from my chair."

Tyler Barris and Johnny Corbett said they would learn more in air-conditioned classrooms.

"When it's not hot, your brain works better," Tyler said.

Thomas Middle School parents Natalie Condl and Jean Stasik are also in favor of spending the $13 million for air conditioning.

"It's ridiculous we're even having this conversation in Arlington Heights," Condl said. "I have a sixth-grader who comes home at 3 p.m. and takes a four-hour nap because she's so tired."

Stasik agreed with Condl.

"Think about it, would you go to a restaurant, hotel or other facility if it didn't have air conditioning?" Stasik said. "Would you really go if you didn't have to?"

The school board first looked into the air-conditioning issue almost a year ago. District 25 will host another public comment session on air conditioning Sept. 27.

A final decision is expected in December.