HILO — The state’s plan to cool 1,000 classrooms by this fall won’t initially benefit many schools on the Big Island.
Kahakai Elementary School in Kailua-Kona is the lone Hawaii Island school included on the state Department of Education’s priority list of schools considered for air conditioning units, ranking No. 32 of 33.
Schools on the list — many of which are on Oahu — were selected based on “ambient temperatures,” DOE spokeswoman Lindsay Chambers said in an email, and ranked by the department in order from “hottest” to “coolest.”
“As we continue further down the list more Hawaii Island schools will be outfitted with heat abatement efforts,” Chambers said.
Gov. David Ige first announced the effort — a pledge to cool 1,000 classrooms statewide — in his January 2016 State of the State address.
The issue is longstanding in Hawaii, though brought to the forefront in recent years as some say ocean and air temperatures are rising because of climate change. The state also recorded record-breaking temperatures in summer 2015, prompting some public outcry for cooler schools.
In 2016, lawmakers allocated $100 million for Ige’s initiative, with a target goal for the work to be completed by the end of that year. The project since has stalled. The DOE told state media last week that delays have been caused by high bids and aging infrastructure at schools, among other things.
The department said last week it’s now installed AC units in 456 of those 1,000 classrooms and hopes to be finished by the start of the upcoming school year.
If that happens, it’s still unclear when more Big Island schools might be considered — the DOE has “strictly followed” its priority list thus far, Chambers said, and will continue work “as funding is received.” There are 256 traditional public schools in Hawaii, including about 40 on Hawaii Island.
Kahakai’s AC installation went out to bid in September 2016, according to the DOE website, but no bid has been reported as awarded.
About two dozen schools already feature central AC — among them Keaau Elementary School, built in 1998. Keaau Principal Ron Jarvis said Wednesday that his school’s cooling system has been a boon to learning. It helps filter out vog, he said, and reduces noise caused by leaving windows open. It also seems to help students stay alert.
“Kids are able to focus more and it just improves their overall comfort level,” Jarvis said.
The DOE also has taken other steps to cool classrooms. For example, hundreds of portable classrooms feature heat-reflective material, according to the department’s website, and dozens of schools have or will receive ceiling fans as part of a Race to the Top-funded facilities effort.
“It does help to have a cool and comfortable learning environment, especially in the afternoon — after lunch for example —when energy level is already low,” said Elna Gomes, principal of Keaau Middle School, among schools slated for ceiling fans. “If the classroom is really warm, they’re less alert. And that includes not only the students but the teachers — they struggle when it’s warm like that.“
The DOE says installing AC at every school would cost about $1.7 billion. The department spends about $48 million annually in electricity costs, which increases as new AC systems are added.
Email Kirsten Johnson at kjohnson@hawaiitribune-herald.com.