Board approves $45,000 interim cooling plan for select classrooms; master facilities plan to inform long-term work
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Summary
The Oak Park District 97 Board on Aug. 12 approved an interim cooling plan not to exceed $45,000 to install temporary cooling in prioritized classrooms, including rooms at Irving and Lincoln schools.
Oak Park Elementary School District 97 on Aug. 12 approved an interim summer 2025 cooling plan to install temporary cooling in prioritized classrooms, voting to authorize DJ Sweeney Electrical Contracting for work not to exceed $45,000.
District staff said they prioritized rooms that lack existing portable or permanent cooling and cited temperatures measured in classrooms during recent hot days. The initial phase targets rooms at Irving and Lincoln schools; staff said installing interim units in six or seven additional rooms would require exceeding the $25,000 threshold previously discussed and that the board's authorization to spend up to $45,000 provides the needed flexibility.
Administrators characterized the purchases as interim solutions while the district completes a master facilities plan that will analyze longer-term HVAC and building upgrades. A district representative said the units purchased for this plan are distinct from permanent univent work that could be part of referendum projects; those permanent upgrades remain the preferred long-term solution.
Board members noted that some parent-teacher organizations had offered to fund units and asked that PTOs be informed that the district will use its appropriated funds for the prioritized classrooms so PTO resources can be redirected if desired. The board also asked staff to collect temperature and attendance data after school starts to assess both need and effectiveness.
The motion to approve the contract passed on a voice vote recorded in the meeting transcript. Staff said the district will maintain the interim units to last through the current school year and will monitor master-facilities-plan recommendations before deciding on long-term investments.
The transcript does not include a breakdown of which specific rooms will receive units beyond references to Irving and Lincoln, nor did staff provide a day-count estimate for how many hot days the units would be required. Administrators said they inspected classrooms on recent hot afternoons to prioritize installations.