Running hot and cold: School Temps Inconsistent

Morgan Dreisbach, Editor|October 7, 2021

As the temperature changes outside, it would be expected that the temperature would stay relatively the same inside; however, that is not the case in the high school.

Since the first day of school, the only thing that seems like it stayed the same is the inconsistency of the temperature in the building. Some rooms are humid, whereas some are very cold.

“The rooms with the highest humidity have dehumidifiers,” said High School Principal Mr. Andrew Rantz.

Mr. Rantz said the high school climate control is getting a huge facelift; this facelift includes an updated HVAC system, which is the heating, ventilation and air conditioning system. The current system is old and the controls are not up-to-date, which makes the temperature control that much harder, added Mr. Rantz.

The HVAC system was approved at the board meeting on June 16, and they started the update to the system in summer 2021. The update does not have a set date to be finished; however, Mr. Rantz said he predicted its completion sometime in late spring.

Although the cost of the renovations which include the stadium and renovations to Baugher is tied in all together. The price of the HVAC system is estimated to be anywhere from $2.5 million to $3.75 million according to the May 11 school board meeting minutes.

The school will continue to have the inconsistent temperatures until the heat is turned on, said Mr. Rantz. The heat will be turned on when it starts getting cold outside, or “when I start getting the emails from teachers saying their classrooms are so cold to the point that students are shivering,” he added.

“To turn the AC on is not like a house; it’s a very involved process. You can’t just turn it on and off. You have to commit to one or the other,” added Mr. Rantz.

Although the humidity in the school is pretty bad, there is no concern for the mold to return because there are companies monitoring the humidity levels, said Mr. Rantz. The new system will help with the humidity when the system is installed. If the humidity levels get concerningly high, the administrators get an email notifying them, so they can come in and take care of the issue, added Mr. Rantz.

When the new system is installed the hope is that it helps to keep a more consistent temperature in the school, Mr. Rantz said he does not know how easy the new system will be until it is installed, said Mr. Rantz.