Image Credit: Google Earth & Canva.
Article by Paula Gomes, Tennessee Conservative News –
One Tennessee High school recently resolved its HVAC issues by letting students loose to fix the units.
Part of the HVAC Career and Technical Education (CTE) program at Hickman County High School, the students were given the opportunity for some real world experience and assisted in the successful repair of three units that were not sufficiently keeping things cool during the recent hot temperatures and heat index that has afflicted Middle Tennessee lately.
The school has more units that need repair that are still undergoing assessment.
Hickman County High School is far from unique in struggling with HVAC systems that are not performing well.
All across the state, districts are fighting with aging units despite earmarked pandemic relief funds for upgrades.
The plight of many schools has become more visible due to the high temperatures as some districts have experienced failures in keeping classrooms cool.
Districts have employed a range of tactics to keep students from overheating. Some have installed portable AC units, some have been forced to move students to cooler areas where AC is still functioning, while others have urged parents to send their children to school with water and fans.
Part of the approximately $4.2 billion in statewide Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief (ESSER) allocations were meant to replace aging HVAC systems, in turn improving air quality inside Tennessee schools. However, for many districts their HVAC problems have yet to be fixed despite this funding.
Sources:
TennesseeConservativeNews.com.
About the Author: Paula Gomes is a Tennessee resident and reporter for The Tennessee Conservative. You can reach Paula at paula@tennesseeconservativenews.com.
