Window air-conditioners to be allowed at sweltering Maryland public schools (original) (raw)

Maryland’s Board of Public Works on Wednesday lifted a ban on using state money to purchase window air-conditioning units for public school classrooms.

The rule was designed to promote energy efficiency, but it came under scrutiny at the start of the school year, when children and teachers in Baltimore City and Baltimore County found themselves sweltering in classrooms amid higher-than-usual temperatures.

Seventy-six of the 145 city schools are without air conditioning and 48 of 175 in the county.

Comptroller Peter Franchot (D), one of three members of the board, described the situation Wednesday as “our Flint,” referring to problems with lead-tainted drinking water in that Michigan city. He said that without window units, students, teachers and school employees were subjected to “conditions that few of us would even expose our animals to.”

Gov. Larry Hogan (R), another member of the board, said the unanimous vote to change the regulation provides “an immediate solution to a terrible problem.”

Some school officials have expressed concern that the districts would have to shift funds from other projects in order to pay for the portable air-conditioning units. State Treasurer Nancy K. Kopp (D), the third member of the board, said districts should report back on where they find money for the installations.

Gregory Thornton, chief executive of Baltimore City schools, estimated that the cost for his district would be 17million.BaltimoreCountysuperintendentDallasDancesaidthefigurewouldbebetween17 million. Baltimore County superintendent Dallas Dance said the figure would be between 17million.BaltimoreCountysuperintendentDallasDancesaidthefigurewouldbebetween8 million and $10 million for his schools. Hogan and Franchot said they expect the districts to install the units quickly.

After addressing its regular agenda, the panel moved on to an annual ritual known as the “Begathon,” in which state education and political leaders plead their case for money to build and renovate schools. The requests continue for hours on end, this year with hundreds of millions of dollars at stake.

In the past, lawmakers have criticized the event as a waste of time, with local delegations making the trek to the State House only to stand outside the governor’s office waiting to be heard.

Former governor William Donald Schaefer (D) had a reputation for bawling out school superintendents and city leaders during the meetings. Another former chief executive, Martin O’Malley (D), described the events as “mind-numbing” and pushed to limit the 2008 participants to education leaders.

Franchot pushed back against O’Malley’s proposal, inviting all county executives and city leaders to join the hearing in order to make the process as “open and participatory as possible.”

During Wednesday’s begathon, Hogan had a heated argument with Carroll County schools superintendent Stephen H. Guthrie over whether Guthrie was rejecting $4 million in state money to help the county devise a plan for closing under-enrolled schools and redistricting students.

The governor demanded to know why Guthrie didn’t want the funds, which were included in the fiscal 2017 budget Hogan proposed last week. Guthrie countered that the funds might not be approved by the Democratic-controlled legislature. He told the governor he may have to make key fiscal decisions for his district before lawmakers act on the budget, suggesting he has to plan as though the funds will not be available.

“At this point, I wouldn’t count on the money if I were you,” Hogan said.