It is officially winter in Bloomington, and bringing a blanket to school has become a cultural norm within the South halls. What was once deemed strange now doesn’t phase a passer-by. While a blanket provides added comfort to an already stressful environment, it also raises the question: Does BHSS have a temperature regulation problem?
In search of an answer, Optimist staff members placed thermometers in different parts of the school and gathered their temperatures. Here is what they found:
A237- 75.2 degrees
A313- 68 degrees
B223- 64.4 degrees
There is often a 10 degree difference in the second floor and the B-Wing, and there is a 7 degree difference in the second floor and third floor.
Science teacher Amanda Figolah has hosted Chris Ciolli, MCCSC director of building operations, in her classroom to explain South’s energy usage. She said the set point for all rooms is meant to be 67 degrees F. Figolah agreed that some rooms are cold, but said, “If the kids saw how much it costs to run the heating and cooling systems, a degree or two makes a big difference.”
English teacher Erin Crowley, whose classroom is on the second floor, claims her room is always cold, but she doesn’t mind.
“I would rather be cold than hot. I like my classroom’s temperature more in the winter,” she said.
Senior Natalia Kropf-Estelle, who spends much of her time in the B-Wing, believes that science teacher Kara Parker’s third floor physics room is the coldest room in the school, and math teacher Kevin Raney’s room is the warmest.
“The temperature varies throughout the day, but [it] is never really comfortable. I think the temperature issue is annoying, but I also understand it’s not the easiest fix,” she said.
Junior Joey McRoberts agrees that the temperature in the school is never comfortable, but he claims the coldest room in the school is history teacher Phil Kluesner’s first floor classroom.
“I sit by the window in Kluesner’s class, and while it is absolutely freezing in there, it’s better than being hot because I can just add more layers.”
Based on evidence and the account of teachers and students, it is clear that temperature regulation is certainly an issue at BHSS. Figolah noted that it’s especially tricky in the spring and fall as the school must choose heating or air conditioning. There is no “off” setting. That being said, students and teachers don’t seem to mind. The distribution of heat throughout the building isn’t something anyone has direct control over. If anything, this is just another one of South’s (slightly frustrating) quirks.
