DOE’s budget to air-condition schools is paltry

The state Department of Education expects that its budget to put air conditioning in more public schools will range from $2 million to $3 million this year — a tiny fraction of the estimated $1.7 billion the department says it will cost to cool classrooms across the state.

The department received $15 million out of a $90 million request for “equity” capital improvement funds that includes money for air conditioning, Dann Carlson, the DOE’s assistant superintendent for school facilities, told the state Board of Education on Tuesday. He said that allocation has to be split between other competing programs, such as special education and science facility upgrades, leaving about $2 million to $3 million for air conditioning.

Funding to cool classrooms has quickly become a hot-button issue again this school year — fueled by record-high summer temperatures that have students and teachers sweltering in their classrooms. The outcry has motivated communities to pitch in with donations of fans in recent weeks and a student-led crowd-funding initiative to help pay for an air-conditioning system.

The state Board of Education requested a presentation on the department’s heat abatement program at the board’s monthly meeting Tuesday.

“The board hears loud and clear the concern,” said Chairman Lance Mizumoto.

“My son says he can’t even focus at all in his chemistry class after lunch, it’s just so hot,” added BOE member Amy Asselbaye.

Twenty-one public schools — out of 256 schools statewide — have central air conditioning throughout their campuses. The DOE says there are 17 projects underway to air-condition individual buildings at schools, including classrooms.

With limited funds for air conditioning, Carlson said the department has been implementing other alternatives at schools, including, for example, installing ceiling fans (in 401 classrooms at 15 schools over the last three years) and solar-powered vents to draw out hot air (at a dozen schools).

The department has identified 20 schools on an air-conditioning priority list that ranks Ewa Beach Elementary, Ilima Intermediate and Campbell High — all in Ewa — in the top spots.

“We’re trying to do everything we can in an effective and sustainable manner given, again, the funding that we’ve received,” Carlson said. “We fully acknowledge that by doing these things we will still have to most likely provide mechanical cooling to some of the classrooms because it’s not going to lower it to a thermally comfortable level. But as we step through each of these schools, that might help us reduce the load of the AC that we might need.”

Carlson said the schools with central air conditioning also have some of the highest utility bills. For example, Pohakea Elementary in Ewa Beach saw its utility bill increase by 130 percent after installing air conditioning schoolwide, to $14,000 a month from $6,000. The department expects its annual electricity bill for all schools this year will cost $48 million.

Brennan Lee, a senior at Mililani High School and the student representative on the BOE, said the heat is a distraction. “I’d love to have AC,” he said, “but just the utility cost worries me.”

Corey Rosenlee, president of the Hawaii State Teachers Association and a staunch advocate for air conditioning for schools, said the DOE is not being realistic with its $1.7 billion estimate.

“On a day like today it’s really hot, and it’s getting to a point where it is unhealthy for our students and teachers,” he testified Tuesday. “But instead of just coming here and telling you about the problem — I think you’re all aware of the problem — I do really want to offer a solution. … We need to throw out the $1.7 billion plan … because that plan is never going to happen. The Legislature is never going to give us $1.7 billion.”

He suggested the DOE start by performing electrical capacity studies at schools without air conditioning and categorize them into schools with sufficient electrical capacity for air conditioning, schools with some capacity and schools with no capacity.

From there, he said the department should look at making it easier for schools with capacity to partner with community groups and businesses or allow teachers to pay for air-conditioning units. For schools with some capacity, he suggested that a pilot solar-powered air-conditioning system on a Waianae High portable classroom be expanded to a school to test its effectiveness. That system is still connected to the electrical grid for stability.

And for schools with no electrical capacity, he suggested piloting a similar solar-powered air-conditioning system that uses backup batteries and doesn’t require electricity.

“I think if we use this hybrid approach instead of this $1.7 billion approach, we’ll be able to solve it,” Rosenlee said.