On any given day, about 18 Henrico schools experience air conditioning outages, according to Henrico Schools officials, with classroom temperatures spiking above 80 degrees.
HVAC issues have been widespread across the division not only for the past few weeks, but also during several years of hot summer weather and cold winter months. Since school started on Aug. 24, two schools have been forced to close or dismiss early because of extremely hot temperatures.
But the division is now enacting a more “proactive, data-informed” approach to HVAC maintenance, said new HCPS Chief of Operations Greg Dunaway, that involves a restructuring of the Department of Facilities leadership, a new $3.9-million preventative maintenance contract, and more involvement from county government…