Anonymous
Post 06/12/2026 12:01     Subject: Why is the HVAC breaking everywhere?
Anonymous wrote:I heard the HVAC repair company who does the repairs is an illegally awarded contract. The owner is friends with the superintendent. Golf buddies or something.


Anonymous
Post 06/12/2026 00:27     Subject: Why is the HVAC breaking everywhere?
The NBMS building was redone fairly recently but the HVAC is completely dysfunctional in certain older areas, like the orchestra room. My child recorded temperatures over 100 in that room (in part because it's packed with kids, but still). She said kids often fainted and had to be sent to the nurses office to cool down. The poor orchestra teacher.
Anonymous
Post 06/12/2026 00:13     Subject: Why is the HVAC breaking everywhere?
Anonymous wrote:As for Wootton, the building is completely spent. The HVAC has been in a horrible state for the past 15-20 years and we were told year after year that there's no way to make it better. During that time there has never been a time when all parts of the building were appropriate for the conditions. Today was just another day of it being unbearable, but it just happened to be unbearable for the whole school all at once so we were allowed to go home.


You get a new building soon.
Anonymous
Post 06/11/2026 21:27     Subject: Re:Why is the HVAC breaking everywhere?
Anonymous wrote:The HVAC systems have passed their shelf life and they have to contend with extreme heat on top of it. The poor state of MCPS’s buildings and HVAC systems has been a topic of conversation in local news for over a year. How did you miss it?


New schools have crap hvac too. How did you miss it?
See golf buddy comment.
Anonymous
Post 06/11/2026 20:57     Subject: Re:Why is the HVAC breaking everywhere?
The HVAC systems have passed their shelf life and they have to contend with extreme heat on top of it. The poor state of MCPS’s buildings and HVAC systems has been a topic of conversation in local news for over a year. How did you miss it?
Anonymous
Post 06/11/2026 20:39     Subject: Why is the HVAC breaking everywhere?
Anonymous wrote:As for Wootton, the building is completely spent. The HVAC has been in a horrible state for the past 15-20 years and we were told year after year that there's no way to make it better. During that time there has never been a time when all parts of the building were appropriate for the conditions. Today was just another day of it being unbearable, but it just happened to be unbearable for the whole school all at once so we were allowed to go home.


Wooton is getting a completely new school - don't feel bad for them!
Anonymous
Post 06/11/2026 20:37     Subject: Why is the HVAC breaking everywhere?
I heard the HVAC repair company who does the repairs is an illegally awarded contract. The owner is friends with the superintendent. Golf buddies or something.
Anonymous
Post 06/11/2026 20:24     Subject: Why is the HVAC breaking everywhere?
They were pretty transparent about the county wide HVAC cluster**** during last year’s Capital Improvements budget presentations. It was horrifying but I don’t feel surprised.
Anonymous
Post 06/11/2026 20:14     Subject: Why is the HVAC breaking everywhere?
As for Wootton, the building is completely spent. The HVAC has been in a horrible state for the past 15-20 years and we were told year after year that there's no way to make it better. During that time there has never been a time when all parts of the building were appropriate for the conditions. Today was just another day of it being unbearable, but it just happened to be unbearable for the whole school all at once so we were allowed to go home.
Anonymous
Post 06/11/2026 20:11     Subject: Why is the HVAC breaking everywhere?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Did you know that the HVAC budget was cut going forward?

Yup.
did they cut the HVAC budget or just not increase it as much as requested? Not saying they don't need the money.

But this is what happens when MCPS and the union continually agree to increase compensation costs at a pace that is faster than revenue growth even after tax increases.


They kept the HVAC budget for year one of the CIP - otherwise they would have had total screaming. But HVAC budget was cut in further out years.

But hey, we have regional programs coming our way, well-planned or not, even if there is precious little transportation to get to the programs.

Anonymous
Post 06/11/2026 20:04     Subject: Why is the HVAC breaking everywhere?
Anonymous wrote:
Did you know that the HVAC budget was cut going forward?

Yup.
did they cut the HVAC budget or just not increase it as much as requested? Not saying they don't need the money.

But this is what happens when MCPS and the union continually agree to increase compensation costs at a pace that is faster than revenue growth even after tax increases.
Anonymous
Post 06/11/2026 19:46     Subject: Why is the HVAC breaking everywhere?

Did you know that the HVAC budget was cut going forward?

Yup.
Anonymous
Post 06/11/2026 19:44     Subject: Why is the HVAC breaking everywhere?
Anonymous wrote:I don’t recall a year with SO many schools with no AC at the same time. Am I just forgetting? Why are there so many schools all of a sudden this year that seem to not be functioning?


Stay tuned.
Anonymous
Post 06/11/2026 19:31     Subject: Why is the HVAC breaking everywhere?
Anonymous wrote:I don’t recall a year with SO many schools with no AC at the same time. Am I just forgetting? Why are there so many schools all of a sudden this year that seem to not be functioning?


The switch to digitally base systems means that there is proprietary technology involved. This complicates repairs, and we probably need more technicians in the field familiar with the technology.

And then there is the lack of money.
Anonymous
Post 06/11/2026 16:36     Subject: Why is the HVAC breaking everywhere?
I don’t recall a year with SO many schools with no AC at the same time. Am I just forgetting? Why are there so many schools all of a sudden this year that seem to not be functioning?