Schools

Chapel Hill Elementary Slated for New Roof, Not AC

Baltimore County has requested $970,000 in state funds for the Perry Hall elementary school's new roof.

By Emily Kimball
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September 17, 2012

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Chapel Hill Elementary

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By September 2014, Chapel Hill Elementary School students could be studying under a brand new roof, but don't expect the school's interior to be any cooler.

Earlier this month, the Baltimore County Board of Education approved its proposed fiscal year 2014 capital budget, a request for more than $72 million in state funds.

Chapel Hill was the only Perry Hall school approved for a major project. A roof replacement, expected to cost $970,000, was listed eighth out of 30 projects in priority.

School roofs may require replacement about every 20 years, according to county spokesperson Diana Spencer.

Chapel Hill first opened in 1962 and received an addition in 2000. Its roof now shows "show significant signs of decline," Spencer wrote in an email to Patch.

Chapel Hill school officials declined to comment on the proposed roof replacement.

But while the roof may soon be replaced, the school was not included among eight schools slated for air conditioning—at a cost of between $800,000 and $2.1 million per project.

Joppa View Elementary School and Kingsville Elementary School, both serving the Perry Hall area, also did not make the cut for air conditioning by 2014.

The county recently released a priority list of schools to receive air conditioning, which did not specify funding or time frame. Out of 47 schools, Chapel Hill was listed 30th, Joppa View was listed 38th and Kingsville was listed 18th.

New Superintendent S. Dallas Dance, who has stated his support for air conditioning, is expected to address issues during a Board of Education meeting on Sept. 18.

Maryland Comptroller Peter Franchot, a major proponent of bringing air conditioning into every Baltimore County school, recently spoke about the situation during a Perry Hall Improvement Association meeting.

Franchot suggested using window units in the classrooms of older schools in order to offset costs.

"These classrooms are as hot as ovens," he said. "You guys have got to join the rest of the state."

Editor Nayana Davis contributed to this report.

Related Topics: Air Conditioning, Perry Hall Schools, and chapel hill elementary

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PerryHallCrafter

1:09 pm on Monday, September 17, 2012

As long as the offices of those who make the policy are comfortable and air conditioned, these types of decisions will continue to be made. Those who make the comments about "we never had A/C when we went to school" or "I didn't even have A/C in my house growing up" are the ones posting from comfortably cool homes and/or offices. I've been in those hot classrooms with WAY more students than years ago, in August, when we "didn't go to school in August back then" and it's unbearable. It's not an environment conducive to learning in packed, stifling classrooms.

Chris

11:49 am on Tuesday, September 18, 2012

What else is new! Kingsville got a new roof a couple of years ago with no air conditioning. It is so hot in those classrooms it makes it so difficult for the kids to function. Yes I went to school years ago with no air conditioning but as stated above we started school after labor day! The classrooms are so packed and the windows open sometimes do more harm than good. If they are only permitted "approved" fans then there needs to be more "approved" fans than the one maybe two that are in the classrooms.

Shawanda

2:07 pm on Tuesday, September 18, 2012

Leaving the doors and windows open to let in so called cooler air does not help and is NOT safe. It is a safety/security hazard. Do we really need to read about Chapel Hill on the news before they realize the importance of this issue??? My poor 1st grader says that it feels like a desert in her classroom and in the gym. And she and my 2nd grader come home irritated and grumpy almost everyday until they cool down at home for awhile. It's rediculous...we just moved to the area, and despite the high academic accolades we heard about, we were disapponted to say the least that our poor children would have to endure the stifling heat of those rooms.