With temperatures still reaching the 80’s, some classrooms heat up, while the practice fields are being cooled down.

The new middle school will be equipped with air conditioning that will keep the students cool while the temperatures outside are sweltering.

Some HHS students are wondering if, after the middle school’s completion, air conditioning at the high school will be the next big priority.

Right now there is just no money for it, and it would probably require a bond issue.

Even though the budget does not allow for cold air, there is always money to water the practice fields. Some students feel spending money on air conditioning would benefit everyone and not just those students who use the fields. While the practice fields are watered each day in the heat of the summer, and every other day when it is cooler, less than 50% of the grass at HHS is watered.

However, most people feel that it is just as important for the grass to look good.

“In the Midwest where water is relatively cheap it is easy to keep things green, but in the past when there has been dead grass there was question from the community about why it looked that way,” Morrie Schwenk, maintenance supervisor said.

People assume that if the outside of a building is well cared for the inside receives the same amount of attention. It may seem that it is hot in the entire building, but there are already many rooms at HHS with air conditioning, including the office, library, band and art rooms, and the science wing.

To water the soccer fields during the month of August, it cost the school district $1600, a bargain compared to what it would cost to add cooling units to the high school, according to Brad Cabrera, the Director of Finance and Operations for the school district. This summer the school district installed air conditioning in one room at Longfellow. The cost for installation alone was $4400.

Window units are an option that the school board looked into, but they are impractical and result in a higher electrical bill even though installation is easier.

Another cost issue that would have to be taken into consideration when looking at the cost of air conditioning is the electrical wiring at the school.

When the building was built in 1955, the wiring was not done to support the kind of unit that would be installed today. This means that everything would have to be rewired.

Some newer elementary schools have air conditioning and their utility bill shows it. At Lincoln school, the utility bill in August was $2500 for electrical, which includes air conditioning costs. At Longfellow school, where there is almost no air conditioning, the August bill was $1100 for electrical.

The new middle school will cost the district a lot both in watering bills, and electrical bills. Since new grass will have to grow, it will require extra watering. Cabrera had a rough estimate about the cost increase in the water bill.

“I would guess that we will be looking at an increase of anywhere from $800 to $1200 dollars to water the new grass,” Cabrera said.

The middle schools’ air conditioning will not be cheap, but the school was designed to be more practical than other schools. None of the windows at the new building will open. These windows will be easier on the utility bills. Not only will they keep the cool air in during the warmer months, and the warm air in the winter, they will also require very little maintenance.

“Primarily the architect decided that this was the best choice and would have a more positive impact on the utility bills,” Cabrera said.

Energy efficient windows are a positive addition to the building but air needs to be circulating even when there is no heat or cool air turned on.

“The units are such that you can pull in fresh air to circulate though-out the building,” Cabrera said.