Campbell high schools will have new heating, AC systems next year – The Mercury News

Some students in the Campbell Union High School District may soon be more comfortable in class during hot summersand chilly winters.

The district has reached the halfway mark in revamping the heating, ventilation and air conditioning systems at its five high schools.

The issue with the systems came to a head in September 2015, when the district ended two school days earlydue to scorching temperatures that were expected to reach at least 100 degrees both inside and outside the classroom.

Since then the district has been working to update heating and cooling in classrooms and other teaching facilities like gymnasiums.Most of the schools were built in the early to mid-1960s with no air conditioning or had antiquated systems, according to the district.

All schools will have new systems by May next year, according toNancy Torres Pfeiffer, the assistant superintendent of business services.

The project has been split into two phases. The first phase from May to November last year saw heating, ventilation and air conditioning systems upgraded at Del Mar, Leigh and Branham high schools. As of now, only 30 percent of Branhams classrooms and instructional spaces have working air conditioning. The other 70 percent are being assessed since the campus relies on three different outdated systems.

We have received positive feedback from teachers at Branham,Torres Pfeiffer said of the first round of upgrades.

The second phase began in November and focuses on installing heating, ventilation and air conditioning units at Prospect, Westmont and the remaining classrooms at Branham.The units are not like those found in homes, they are considered industrial,according to Pfeiffer

Some of the work will start during the summer, Torres Pfeiffer said, and will continue into the school year and bedone after school hours.

Torres Pfeiffer said each school site is at a different stage of progress. Prospect and Branhman pose the greatest challenges due to the age and complexity of their systems. Prospects units will need the most work at a cost of approximately $3.8 million, Torres Pfeiffer said.

She said the districts goal is to get a majority of work done at Prospectfirstand roll out a schedule for the remaining school sites to reach completion by May.

The district will also install LED bulbs in multipurpose rooms and outside gyms as a way cut energy costs.

The projects costs are not final, but Torres estimates $18 million total.

Funding comes from Measure AA, a bond measure approved by voters in November, as well as borrowed money, according to Torres Pfeiffer.

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Campbell high schools will have new heating, AC systems next year - The Mercury News