Students at Sugarland Elementary and Rolling Ridge Elementary schools should not have to wear coats in the classrooms next winter.
The School Board has voted to use $800,000, approved by the Board of Supervisors, to replace the heating systems in each of the 30-year-old schools.
"During the past winter, we had rooms with no heat while the room next door was fine," School Board member J. Warren Geurin (Sterling) said Thursday, after the School Board held a special meeting Wednesday evening. "They put on sweaters and coats and kept on going, much to the credit of the classroom teachers. Both schools have had extensive heating, ventilation and air condition problems for the past several years.’"
HE CREDITED Supervisors Mick Staton (R-Sugarland) and Eugene Delgaudio (R-Sterling) with finding money for the new equipment. "We’re acting as fast as we can to get them ordered and installed this summer, so they don’t have to suffer through another winter," he said.
School Board member Joseph Guzman (Sugarland Run) said Loudoun Fire and Rescue was called to Sugarland Elementary several times this winter, generating parental concern and complaints.
Geurin said the plastic coating over the wiring started to smoke in more than one instance, and students were forced to wait outside in the cold while firemen made sure there was no fire.
Eileen Currin, a Sugarland Run parent, said she has a child in first grade and another one in kindergarten next year. "It’s a little scary when you see fire trucks outside … and not knowing what’s going on. This most recent time, there were helicopters flying around. They said, ‘You can leave them here and wait or take them back home.'"
She was concerned her child would miss part of her class, if they drove back home. "Once this situation is fixed, I will be very pleased."
Rolling Ridge Principal Melinda Carper said the only time she needed to call the fire department was after her children were gone for the day. "Basically, we just had some cold rooms, especially when the weather was really, really cold," she said.
RENOVATIONS, including new heating, ventilation and air conditioning systems, have been in the planning stages for the past four years. They have been postponed for various reasons. "Last year, the superintendent of schools didn’t think the school employees could handle that many new schools and renovations at one time," Geurin said. "Another year, the Supervisors put it off."
Superintendent of Schools Edgar Hatrick was referring to Loudoun being in the process of building five schools, and planning two more constructions and renovations for one high school and four middle schools.
The School Board has proposed funding both schools’ renovations in the fiscal year 2006 budget, but the Board of Supervisors has proposed waiting another year for the Rolling Ridge construction. Budget deliberations are still ongoing.
Geurin said the new heating units can be used in conjunction with the renovations. Originally, it appeared they could only be used as a temporary fix.
The $15.5 million Sugarland renovations include a new gymnasium, six classrooms, a computer lab, an art room and a music room.
The $14.4 million Rolling Ridge renovations include a new gymnasium, three classrooms, a computer lab, an art room and a music room.
Guzman said the heating systems should be installed in time for colder weather. "We hope this will fix the problem," he said. "We won’t have any cold rooms like we had at the schools."