Coronado Unified School District could spend an estimated $40 million to air condition its public schools, Superintendent Karl Mueller told the governing board on Thursday, Sept. 10.
Mueller announced the formation of a new HVAC exploratory committee with a 12-month timeline to study the project. The move follows a fall heat wave that forced roughly a week of minimum days across the district, cutting into instructional time for the first time since 2022.
"CUSD over the last 10 years has engaged in a number of studies … We estimate right now approximately $40 million to air condition our schools," Mueller said at the Sept. 10 meeting, as The Coronado News reported.
The district's buildings were constructed without the capacity to add air conditioning, according to Mueller. The new committee will gather classroom temperature data and collect input from students, staff and families. It will also revisit recommendations from the district's earlier Committee to Analyze the Student Learning Environments (CASLE), which was formed to address concerns about high classroom temperatures.
The committee is tasked with exploring funding pathways and developing phased implementation plans based on available budgets, according to Mueller's report to the board.
Trustee Fitzhugh Lee had requested a classroom cooling agenda item at the board's Aug. 20 meeting, weeks before the heat wave hit. The board agreed at that time to add the topic to a future agenda.
Trustee Malachy Sandie has also pushed for the issue. "We need a comfortable teaching environment. If you're sitting in a sweltering classroom, how are you going to learn?" Sandie said in an Aug. 18 Coronado Times profile, before the heat wave forced schedule changes.
In February 2025, the board voted 5-0 to approve updated heat-day guidelines that set an 87-degree Fahrenheit heat index as the threshold for declaring a minimum day. The district reported zero heat-related schedule disruptions between 2022 and this school year.
Mueller said teachers are adjusting how they assess learning. A plan is in place to recover lost instructional minutes before the quarter ends, he said.
One potential state funding source is no longer available. California's CalSHAPE program (California Schools Healthy Air, Plumbing, and Efficiency), which set aside nearly $1 billion to help schools upgrade aging HVAC systems, closed applications in 2024 with $191 million left unspent. Lawmakers and the governor did not extend the program in September 2026, according to CalMatters.
The CUSD board's next regular meeting is scheduled for 4 p.m. on Thursday, Oct. 15, at the district office.
