Temperature difficulties challenge the HC community

Your first hour is freezing, and you might thaw out in second, but third hour is a grab bag of hot or cold. Welcome to Henry Clay, where the thermostat is a creature with a will of its own. Year after year students and staff deal with the unusual temperatures, some petitioning for change, some just bundling up.

Chad Carpenter, HC administrator in charge of building and maintenance, acknowledged the problem. Because of HC’s outdated boiler system, serious renovations are necessary before everyone can be pleased. Carpenter elaborated on trying to find a happy medium.

“I completely understand that trying to teach and trying to learn in a classroom on either end of the spectrum of being too cold or too warm. It can be frustrating,” Carpenter said. “My job is to try to balance a good time [to turn on the boiler]. When can I make sure that there aren’t too many people on both ends that aren’t upset?”

The inconsistent temperatures affect nearly every room in the building, but some more than others. HC History teacher Elise Perry, who has been dealing with frigid conditions for nine years, has a room infamous for its chilly temperatures. Despite this, she tries to make the best of the situation.

“I think it’s pretty evident that we need a new system, a new [Heating, ventilation, and air conditioning] system, maybe something that is updated,” Perry said, “but I tend to side more with the school, in that, we are doing everything that we can to make it more comfortable for students.”

Students are aware of the fluctuating temperatures, either toughing it out and wearing layers, or ignoring it and continue coming in t-shirts and shorts. HC Senior Valerie Pallos created a petition, hoping to begin raising funds to purchase a new heating system. Her petition has around 167 signatures out of the 200 she seeks.

“I think that by having all of the students bring attention to this problem, Pallos stated, “then we could really show how we could fix the problem. As a senior, I do want to leave a legacy for Henry Clay, and I think that if I were to start a way to change the temperatures, then that would be something really big, not only for me, but for everyone around me.”

Despite the deficiencies in the boiler system, no teacher, student, or administrator wants the building to be a frozen wasteland or a scorching desert. Carpenter offers the thing that could make the school a little more bearable.

“Communicate when there are irregularities in the classroom.” Carpenter said. “With cold weather, or with the opposite end, we get rooms that are really cold, or really hot, and I can still try to address them.”

HC’s HVAC problems won’t be a quick or easy fix. It may not even be a fix that Valerie Pallos and the rest of the class of 2018 gets to see. However, seeing a new HVAC system in place is worth waiting for.

“If I could fix it tomorrow, I would,” Carpenter said, “I just ask for everyone’s patience and understanding.”