This is an issue brought up one too many times. Air cooling is necessary in school buildings in order for the educational process to be effective. One would think that with all the thought the district puts into upholding the educational process that they’d take all the measures necessary to give students the best possible chance for success in their classes. At the end of June, when the summer heat is starting to blaze, students in Woodbridge Township take final exams stuck to chairs. Most teachers buy their own fans since we are not even equipped with ceiling fans. Many teachers teach with the lights off to help cool off the rooms but when the windows barely open (if they open at all) the hot air in the classroom just hangs in the room. Dress code restrictions prevent some students from wearing what they want to feel comfortable in the heat. Something needs to be done to improve these conditions.
The excuse is always money. The median property home value in Woodbridge Township is $257,300, leaving the average home owner paying $5,663 in taxes. The Woodbridge Township School District’s 2016-17 Operating Budget totaled $218,785,505. Their anticipated revenue totals at $229,856,205. If the numbers work out as anticipated, why can’t the district put some money into providing cooling systems to the schools? What becomes of that $11,070,700? With the amount of money you pay in taxes, wouldn’t you want the best learning environment for your child? That entails comfortable conditions during the school day. The cost of which truly would not be that high.
Colonia High School has the ductwork for a central air system. Costs would be low to have them blown out to remove debris. It costs $500 for the average home. A large scale application such as a school building would like be about triple that to accommodate the larger square footage. That’s no cost in the large budget of a school district. An appropriate central air system designed for industrial application could easily cover the square footage of the school would run around $30,000. For schools without the ductwork, each room would need an individual air cooling unit. A basic in-window air cooler would run about $130 from Home Depot for each room. That’s a few grand per school based on retail numbers for the average individual consumer. A large bulk purchase from the manufacturer would be what the school district would opt for, allowing a significant discount in per unit cost.
Let’s look at the reasons air cooling is necessary for an educational institution. When the body is exposed to heat for long periods of time, the body heats up as well. The body takes action to cool itself down, inhibiting learning as energy and bodily resources are dedicated to preserving itself from the heat instead of absorbing information. Heat is known to cause headaches and drowsiness as heat exhaustion sets in, which in turn reduces alertness and interest. That same state of mind, when translated into a testing environment, will result in lower scores.
Air cooling is also more hygienic. Warmer, humid air is a better environment for contagions of all sorts to survive. Body odor from countless individuals because they’re sweating profusely throughout the seven hour school day creates an uncomfortable air quality. Cooler air is easier for one to breathe and more rich in oxygen. This makes it better for asthmatics and larger individuals.
It is clear and obvious that air cooling is necessary for a comfortable, clean, and well performing educational environment. When will the our school district get on board and invest in the proper systems to make it happen? Climate control is necessary in an educational environment. Will they wait until it is mandated by the Department of Health and Human Services? Only our collective voices will answer that question.
