Glen Burnie High Requests State Funds to Replace HVAC System

Anne Arundel County Public Schools has asked the county and state for help funding the replacement of Glen Burnie High School’s heating, ventilating and air conditioning (HVAC) system, requesting $1.4 million from the Maryland Board of Public Works.

The current HVAC system was installed in 1976. The Board of Public Works approves school construction funding, with about $606 million being requested by 21 school districts in the state, according to Lisa Lester, spokeswoman for Comptroller Peter Franchot. Franchot is a member of the Board of Public Works.

“Some of the components here are 50 years old. It’s clearly beyond simply being antiquated. It’s not energy efficient and they build low energy, high efficiency systems now that improve the air quality and balance out the comfort issues,” said Alex Szachnowicz, the school system’s chief operating officer. “We’re essentially taking buildings that were constructed in the ‘30s and ‘50s and [updating them] with the current century’s technology.”

Szachnowicz, Superintendent Kevin M. Maxwell and principal Vickie Plitt gave Franchot a tour of the school Monday morning in an effort to help him see the school’s needs with his own eyes.

He said he planned to be an advocate for Glen Burnie High when the application’s appeal comes up for a vote in May.

“It’s an old structure but the new heating and cooling will be a big improvement to save quite a bit of money as far as greater efficiency,” he said, adding that Monday’s visit was the first time he’d been inside the school. “It’s good for budgets, it’s good for the environment and in a competitive environment it’s good for me to be able to tell the governor and the treasurer that this project should definitely be fully funded.”

Szachnowicz said there is an opportunity to see up to a 40 percent reduction in energy consumption with new HVAC systems as well as some other improvements.

“If you replace the roof, which is eligible for state systemic funding, and replace the HVAC system and replace the windows in the building you can really see dramatic energy consumption reductions,” he said.

Franchot said he plans to support the county’s request to fund the HVAC system but warned that there is a limit to the amount of money that can go around.

“We’ll see what happens. Too few dollars and too many projects but this one really stands out as a cost-effective priority,” he said. “Now we’ll just see if we can find the money in May at the Board of Public Works.”

The school system also requested nearly $2.1 million in county funds with the total project costing about $3.5 milion.