COST OF COOL SCHOOLS HIGH

Scheduling school would be a lot simpler if the Cape Girardeau School District's classrooms had air conditioning. But air conditioning the city's public schools would cost $4.5 million or more.

Business manager Steve DelVecchio said any project costing several million dollars would have to be part of a long-range plan.

The Board of Education is beginning a strategic planning process.

"The time has come to start looking at this seriously," DelVecchio said of air-conditioned classrooms.

This week the lack of air conditioning forced officials to dismiss school early when heat indexes in some classrooms topped 100 degrees.

DelVecchio said new electrical wiring would be necessary before any type of air conditioning could be installed.

"We are pretty well reaching the capacity for electricity at all our buildings," DelVecchio said.

Central air conditioning would be the first choice, DelVecchio said. The initial investment would be higher than for window units, but in the long run central air conditioning costs less to run and does a better job of cooling.

Window units are less expensive to install but not as efficient to operate, he said.

An example of the differences surfaced over the summer when the PTA at L.J. Schultz Middle School requested cost estimates on air-conditioning the school's library.

PTA President Kathy Brennan said the group would like to "create an oasis for the kids" at Schultz.

To central air-condition the room, a drop ceiling would have to be installed to provide a place for ductwork. Cost of a four-ton unit, installation, lowering the ceiling and installing a power supply was $10,818. The estimated annual cost of operation was $1,690.

To put four, 24,000-BTU window units in the room and provide a power supply would cost an estimated $5,048. The estimated annual cost of operation was $1,780.

Brennan said the PTA will discuss the choices at a meeting next week.

"We've already received a donation from a parent whose child is attending this year," she said.

Franklin Elementary and the Area Vocational-Technical schools are air-conditioned. Throughout the rest of the school district only a handful of rooms have air conditioning. School offices are air-conditioned.

Kindergarten classrooms have air conditioning. The last rooms at May Greene got units this week, and afternoon kindergarten classes have been in session this week despite the heat.

Three times air conditioning has been a part of ballot issues that Cape Girardeau voters turned down. In April 1993, all the district's classrooms would have been air-conditioned as part of a 99-cent tax increase. In October 1993, a new middle school would have been air-conditioned and Jefferson Elementary, with an addition, would have been air conditioned through a 51-cent tax increase.

In June 1994, air conditioning was part of the plan if voters had approved a waiver of the 37-cent Proposition C rollback.

In 1991, an estimate for air-conditioning all the district's classrooms was $2.5 to $3 million.

In 1992, The Christner Partnership architectural firm estimated air-conditioning and electrical upgrade prices as part of a ballot measure. It would have cost $1.5 million at Central High, $1.07 million at the junior high, $480,000 at Alma Schrader, $380,000 at Clippard and $360,000 at Jefferson.