By Mike Kruzman / news@whmi.com


Hartland School officials are considering options for continuing to cool the high school as they wait for repairs to their air conditioning system to complete.

Late last month, Hartland High School students got some extra time off when the chiller broke, resulting in high temperatures throughout the building, but especially on upper floors. Superintendent Chuck Hughes, at Monday’s Board of Education meeting, said the malfunction was unexpected because the chiller had been inspected over the summer and had received a clean bill of health. It was projected that it would be good for another 8 to 10 years but instead didn’t make it to September. A major blowout occurred on the control panel in which parts for repairing it are not available. Parts for it had to be redesigned, rebuilt, and rewired for it.

The school district has been renting a mega chiller to keep the temperature down. With a week left on that contract, school officials have a couple of options. If repairs aren’t completed in time, they could continue to rent, either by week-to-week or monthly. They could also consider downgrading from the 500-ton chiller being rented to a 240-ton chiller, if fall temperatures look like they are going to cooperate.

When the permanent system is ready to go the district will get it re-installed as soon as possible, but Hughes said the timing is out of their hands.

No action was taken by the Board of Education during the meeting.