Heating and Air is on the Fritz at GHS

With fall and colder temperatures quickly approaching, GHS students and staff are becoming increasingly apprehensive about the functionality of the school’s temperature control system and the effect it will have on the learning environment because of inconsistent temperatures in the building from class to class and day to day. 

Many students at the high school experience some classes that are freezing, some that are somewhat comfortable, and then others that are too warm. Being surprised by the temperatures in each classroom that a student visits throughout the day is not ideal for most. “They need to find a way to balance the air conditioning and heat so it’s somewhat similar across the school, because it’s a problem for different reasons in different rooms,” senior Jack Lentz said. 

When rooms are too warm, students tend to get tired more easily in class, and on the flip side, when rooms are too cold, students worry about their comfortability level rather than the material being covered in class. “It’s harder to stay on task and give full effort on all assignments when you’re more focused on trying to stay warm than paying attention in class,” freshman Keira Block said. “I find myself easily distracted by how cold it usually is.” 

Teachers notice these extreme temperatures as well. Social studies teacher Megan Faherty stays prepared for the unpredictable temperatures in her classroom. “In my room, I get a blast of heat in the morning, and that pretty much has to last the whole day,” Faherty said. “I always dress with lots of layers so I can be flexible depending on the temperature.” 

Temperature inconsistencies pose a disturbance to the learning day for both students and staff alike. Maintenance understands these frustrations, and they’re doing everything in their power to make everyone comfortable. “We are trying to balance the system constantly,” Director of Buildings and Grounds Steve Coombs said. “Many times the issues are caused by a faulty part or a communication issue.” 

He also explained slight fluctuations in temperature, saying that the default temperature in classrooms is 72.5 degrees, but that the system can go 1.5 degrees up or down from 72.5. 

Despite the difficulties of maintaining a constant temperature throughout the school, students and staff are holding out hope that temperature control will improve before a Wisconsin winter rolls around.