SPRINGFIELD — Many students in Springfield were met with more comfortable schools this fall, as air conditioning has been added to several buildings in the city.
In a statement on Sept. 15, Mayor Domenic Sarno said, “This project work demonstrates my continued commitment to our goal of installing air-conditioning at all of our school buildings, as well as maintaining functional AC where we already have it. This is no small feat with a building portfolio as large as ours.” There are 66 public schools in Springfield.
“When this initiative began, there were about 30 schools that needed AC. Now, we are down to a handful and continue crossing more off the list,” Sarno said. “Continued investments in our public schools will ensure our Springfield Public Schools students and families have the best opportunities to learn, grow and succeed.”
Superintendent Sonia Dinnall said, “Upgrading our HVAC systems demonstrates our commitment to a more sustainable future and empowers our students by highlighting the importance of investing in their well-being and the environment.” She and Parks, Buildings and Recreation Management Executive Director Tom Ashe said they are proud of the collaborative effort between the schools and other city departments to complete these projects.
Sarno commended Director of Buildings Jon Carignan, Ashe, Dinnall and SPS Chief Financial Officer Patrick Roach. “I am proud of the fact that my administration, in partnership with SPS, PBRM, our Department Capital Asset Management and the Massachusetts School Building Administration have invested over $1 billion into building new schools and renovating existing schools. The most in the Commonwealth,” he said. The MSBA is a semi-independent agency that funds a portion of eligible costs related to public school building construction and renovations.
Carignan explained that the cost of HVAC installation varies by building, depending on the size and condition of the school. The schools are receiving a mix of mini-spit classroom-sized air conditioners and whole building solutions. Most of the schools that have been retrofitted to include air conditioning are small or medium-sized elementary schools and range from $6 million to $8 million. The work has often included replacing unit ventilators and piping, and installing a new chiller, pumps, heat exchanger and electrical service.
The city has sourced funding for these projects from MassCEC, a state agency dedicated to accelerating the growth of the clean energy sector, and a partnership between the state Department of Energy Resources and Eversource. Much of the early work was done with COVID-19-era grants. Carignan said the city maximized value by using in-house trade staff and a handful of carefully selected partners.
