There Will Be Tempered Air

On Thursday, February 20, the School Construction Committee met to make a recommendation about the Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning (HVAC) systems for the new builds at Frenchtown and Hanaford. It was a very thoughtful and engaging conversation. Ultimately, the SCC recommended a hybrid approach, which will allow for the possibility of all-electric buildings someday, with gas-fired burners in place when the buildings open. 

Also, a big part of the conversation that night was an in-depth discussion of the tempered air that WILL be in place in the new buildings. The new buildings will have a condensing fan and a cooling coil to dehumidify the hot air. This means the temperature of the air leaving the HVAC system will be lower than the temperature of the air entering the system. This is a helpful diagram to better understand tempered air: 

This diagram shares the amount of spaces that will be fully air-conditioned (purple) and the areas that will have tempered air (green): 

The green spaces will feel cooler on those very hot days in late May and June, as well as August and September. They won't feel air-conditioned, but there will be a difference between the temperature of the air circulating in those green spaces. It will make those rooms more comfortable and manageable for teaching and learning. 

Thank you to our construction partners for helping us to bring this HVAC system recommendation to the School Construction Committee. This decision is an important step in our process. The work of the Master Plan will continue over the next several months, with the hope that we break ground on these projects in January of 2026.