Dist. 50 revisits idea of air conditioning

Woodland Elementary District 50 officials at a meeting Tuesday night revisited the idea of air conditioning two schools on the south campus in Gages Lake.

District 50's south campus has Woodland Primary School and a building that contains Elementary East and Elementary West. Early childhood and kindergarten classes are at the primary building, while children in grades one through three attend the two elementary buildings on Gages Lake Road.

Preliminary estimates show it could cost $7.3 million to chill the two schools. Given the expense, a majority of six board members at Tuesday's meeting supported an idea of first committing to pay for air conditioning at the elementary building.

“This is something that I can live with,” District 50 board President Mark Vondracek said.

Superintendent Joy Swoboda said she recommends dedicating funds for air conditioning at the elementary school next summer because it has roughly 2,000 pupils, more than the primary building. She said the school board could seek more money for the primary school air conditioning in a binding referendum question.

The school board will need to hold a formal vote on the air-conditioning proposals.

In 2012, a heat advisory committee at Gurnee-based District 50 issued a report to the school board. In the document, the instructional environment and health of students and employees were listed as district vulnerabilities during excessive heat at the south campus.

Lack of air conditioning in schools has been an issue at other Lake County districts.

Parental complaints led to a formal heat policy approved before the 2014-15 academic season at Lake Zurich Unit District 95.

District 95 officials used the policy to order an early dismissal for some pupils on the first day of classes in August. Parents received an email alerting them to the district plan to release their children two hours earlier than usual, based on weather forecasts.

Five of eight District 95 buildings, all in Lake Zurich, don't have central air conditioning: Middle School South and Seth Paine, Isaac Fox, May Whitney and Sarah Adams elementary schools. An air-conditioning feasibility study ordered by District 95 shows it could cost $19 million to $25 million to chill the five schools.

Grayslake Elementary District 46 board members have been grappling with the idea of having central air installed at two schools. Estimates have shown air conditioning at Woodview and Meadowview elementary schools in Grayslake could cost up to $1.6 million.