School District 21 Considers Air Conditioning Options

School District 21 will hold an initial Air Conditioning Task Force meeting from 6:30-8:30 p.m. Oct. 22 at the district’s administration center.

Community members and district employees are invited to attend to hear presentations from experts regarding the school calendar, financial considerations, infrastructure requirements, and procedural aspects of potentially installing air conditioning.

Following the meeting, attendees will be invited to submit suggestions and ideas that could be considered for implementation by the School Board.

All District 21 buildings have at least some air conditioning, said district spokeswoman Kara Beach, but in some cases it’s limited to spaces such as libraries, computer labs and offices. The task force will look at updating existing air conditioning systems and adding to the areas that don’t have it already, she said.

“This first informational meeting will give our community the opportunity to look at all aspects of managing warm weather in our schools,” Superintendent Kate Hyland said. “With the information presented, we will be better able to move forward and consider potential recommendations to present to the Board of Education.”

At the meeting, Daniel Schuler, assistant superintendent for planning, will outline the timeline for the task force, as well as highlight some preliminary data.

Patricia McAndrews, assistant superintendent for human resources, will discuss the annual decision-making process for the school calendar. Eric Olson from Arcon Associates will present on air conditioning options for the district’s buildings, and Tammie Beckwith-Schallmo of PMA Securities, Inc., will present on financing options for potential installation projects.