EDISON — Edison Language Academy will have air conditioning in the building just in time for winter.
The Board of Education approved a roughly $180,000 "temporary solution" to the heat problems at the school.
During heat waves this fall, temperatures reached at least the mid-80s in classrooms. Santa Monica-Malibu Unified School District officials acknowledged that, while they are functioning correctly, solar chimneys incorporated into the brand new building are not meeting the community's expectations for cooler temperatures.
Edison got the new building thanks to funding from Measure BB, which provides cash from a bond approved by Santa Monica voters. The solar chimneys do bring the temperatures down a few degrees through a passive cooling process, district officials said.
The temporary solution will involve the purchase of rooftop air conditioning units that can pump cool air down into the classrooms through the solar chimneys, supplementing the current system. These rooftop units will take up space initially set aside for solar panels.
A number of parents have been attending the Board of Education meetings for the past two months, expressing frustrations with the high temperatures at the new school.
Renting the rooftop units would only be slightly less expensive, so members of the board decided it makes sense for the district to purchase the units for about $180,000. Additionally, it will cost about $20 to cool a classroom for five hours with the system, according to district officials.
If the process goes smoothly, the units could be in place by early December.
Parents and some members of the board bristled at the idea of a costly temporary solution that will be in place after this year's heat subsides.
"I feel like we're trying to solve last month's problem," said Boardmember Ben Allen.
Superintendent Sandra Lyon explained that the units, once purchased, could be used to cool other schools in the district or sold back. The district's Chief Financial Officer, Jan Maez, explained that while the temporary solution won't be in effect until the end of the fall, a long-term solution wouldn't be in place until after the heat of the 2015 spring and summer.
Further, she explained, the rooftop units may be able to serve as the long-term solution but this will require approval through a process that will take a while.
Given a choice between a short-term solution and a hot spring, Allen and the other members of the board were persuaded to move forward with the rooftop units. Board officials said they would look into a wide range of long-term options.
Boardmember Nimish Patel asked that, if the rooftop units become the long-term solution, design be taken into account.
"We spent so much money on this school and I think aesthetics mean something," he said. "I'd like this to be a beautiful school. If we have this amazing building and on top there's this metal-looking thing, it'll be a constant reminder of our failure."
dave@www.smdp.com
