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Air Conditioning

Wednesday, January 25, 2012

Heated Exchange Punctuates Hairston's Last 'Beg-a-thon' Appearance

Comptroller Peter Franchot tells the Baltimore County Public Schools superintendent that he's "tired of saying pretty please" on air conditioning.

Baltimore County schools Superintendent Joe Hairston's final appearance before the Board of Public Works ended in a heated exchange about air conditioning. Hairston, who is in the final months of his 12-year career with the schools system, found himself on the bad side of Comptroller Peter Franchot as he asked for $70 million in state money. Franchot launched into a five minute monologue about the lack of air conditioning in Baltimore County schools. "I'm kind of tired of saying 'pretty please.' I really am," Franchot said.  Franchot specifically highlighted conditions at Middleborough Elementary School in Essex. Parents from the school attended Wednesday's meeting as they did in October when county officials asked for $7 million in school…

In this Article:

Sources: Hairston Won't Seek Contract Renewal, Baltimore County Biggest Teacher Pension Loser, and Kamenetz Has Short List Of General Assembly Goals

Wednesday, October 19, 2011

State Panel Rejects Call to Fund School Air Conditioning

The comptroller had asked that half of a $7 million request for Baltimore County be withheld until there was a plan to install temporary window units in some schools.

The state Board of Public Works voted Wednesday to approve $7 million in improvements to seven westside schools in Baltimore County. Gov. Martin O'Malley and state Treasurer Nancy Kopp voted down a motion by Comptroller Peter Franchot that would have withheld $3.5 million until there was a plan to install air conditioning in come county schools. Schools slated for the money include: About $3.3 million is slated to go toward replacing windows at Woodlawn High School. The county notes in its request that 56 percent of the school's population is eligible for free or reduced-price lunches. The decision disappointed the parents and students of one Essex elementary school who came to Annapolis to ask the board for air conditioning. "We didn't …

Olivia Van Zandt

3:12 pm on Friday, October 21, 2011

As a lifelong BCPS student, I can say I didn't die from a lack of AC, especially at Franklin High. But both my brother and I's schools have been closed because the heat was too much to stand. It's a lot of money, but I've also seen a lot of kids pass out from heat and a lot of homework making up for days they had to close school.   more ›

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