Farmington High School classrooms flip from freezing to hot every week. Students shiver and sweat as teachers crank their thermostats.
The week starts icy cold, but by Friday, classrooms bake. The front office is said to be the coldest, exposed to the most entrances. Students and teachers alike complain that the temperature across the school is never “just right”.
The AC system pulls in outside air, a heater in the wall heats or cools it, and the ventilation system then disperses the air into the classrooms.
“The district mandated temperature is about 70 to 75 degrees,” custodian Nick Morell, says.
The school’s AC system reflects the school’s recent development, as it can all be controlled from a single computer. The custodian can check a screen that shows the current temperature of a classroom, how much air is flowing, and if the heater is on. Most days, the school is about 72 degrees, but the number of people moving throughout the school, the outside temperature, and the individual classroom thermostats cause the temperature to fluctuate.
Students find that a consistent, comfortable temperature is rare, as the heat climbs daily.
“About 60% of the time I’d say I’m comfortable, but it definitely gets hotter by Friday,” says senior Sicily Matsen.
Sicily also notices the difference right away as she walks the halls between classes. The gym’s auditorium stays cooler, and the 1600 suite is warmed by the 2nd period’s cooking class. She keeps a sweatshirt in her car for Monday mornings, and usually loses it by the end of the week.
“Some spots are way warmer than others,” she says.
As students move throughout the school and the day continues on, many lose or gain layers as they grow uncomfortable with the temperature.
Some teachers find that mornings freeze, afternoons warm fast, and controls fail.
“I turn it- nothing,” says teacher Sarah Exon. She adds that, “Mondays are the worst.”
Exon teaches near the front office; her office also resides alongside it, the coldest spot in the building. She starts the day by turning up the thermostat in her classroom, but by the end of the day, she’s needing to crack a nonexistent window.
“The air usually doesn’t run on weekends,” she explains. That leaves Monday a deep freeze. She cranks the dial as far as it goes, but claims the temperature remains consistent.
Other teachers bring small fans or even space heaters; lessons are paused to adjust the temperature, or gain or shed a layer as teachers struggle to adjust to the ever-changing temperatures.
From its chilly Mondays to stuffy Fridays, Farmington High School rides a temperature rollercoaster. The AC works hard, but can never quite win. Winter is coming, hoodies, jackets, tearaway pants, stay ready.
