Monday, December 2, 2024
Summer heat may be months off, but when it arrives, the Valley Stream Central High School District won’t have to worry about students wilting in overheated classrooms. The district is nearing completion of a $4.9 million HVAC upgrade aimed at enhancing air quality and improving student comfort across its schools.
Assistant Superintendent of Finance and Operations Thomas McDaid explained that the project, which began in September 2023, was driven by the district’s commitment to fostering more conducive learning conditions.
“We wanted to allow students to better concentrate in a comfortable environment,” said McDaid.
The HVAC overhaul, which began with electrical upgrades last fall, has so far successfully installed air conditioning systems at North and South High Schools as of September. Central High School and Memorial Junior High School are set to follow suit early next year, pending the arrival of transfer switches expected by January. Transfer switches ensure a seamless transition between different power sources, typically from the main utility power to a backup power source like a generator.
McDaid noted that securing the necessary electrical supplies posed the most significant challenge, impacting the timeline. The district’s approach includes energy-efficient commercial units, aligning with state-mandated energy standards while providing cooling capabilities that the previous systems lacked.
When the hot months roll in from early June to mid-September in the village, daily highs average over 74 degrees, according to Weather Spark. July tops the heat, with average temperatures reaching 82 degrees during the day and dipping to 70 degrees at night.
Human-amplified climate change has made extreme heat a new normal, with the United States emerging from its fourth hottest summer on record. Across the country, public schools are chafing under antiquated ventilation that can undermine student well-being and learning.
Previously, the schools were equipped only with heating and fresh air systems; the new units now offer cool air along with standard AC filtration to improve air quality.
Funding for the HVAC project came largely from a voter-approved $4 million fund balance proposition in 2022, with additional support from a general fund transfer for health and safety enhancements. Maintenance on the new units is minimal, requiring only routine filter cleaning, and each unit includes a five-year compressor warranty.
The district’s long-term infrastructure goals include creating safe, comfortable spaces to support students’ concentration. Cooler ventilation, particularly during warmer days at the start and end of the school year, is not just a matter of comfort preference. Heat, studies show, can impact student learning, sometimes dramatically.
A well-cited study by economists R. Jisung Park and Joshua Goodman examined 10 million secondary students who took the PSAT between 2001 and 2014. The study found that heat exposure reduces learning productivity.
Astonishingly enough, every one-degree increase in the average temperature of a school year reduced learning by 1 percent. This effect was notably more harmful for Black and Hispanic students, as well as students from low-income households who were more likely to attend schools without air conditioning.
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