Before starting her lesson, Mrs. Tabitha Hippler throws on a sweatshirt or two and sniffs back her oncoming cold. She can't tell if her students aren't listening or just frozen stiff by the frigid cold air that circulates around her room.

Other classrooms such as Mrs. Jennifer Dorsey's class -- or on some days "the sauna" -- might make you think otherwise about wearing a jacket. Some say they can feel the sweat trickling down their faces, and not just because her tests are hard.

The unpredictable and fluctuating temperatures make it easy to tell that the air conditioning system in the school is not functioning properly.

Superintendent Keith Bryant discussed the problem with the air conditioning system at the board meeting Oct. 21.

"The learning environment should not be uncomfortable for students," Bryant said.

Currently the classrooms are all on a chiller and boiler system, which architects thought was the best option when constructing the high school in 2002.

Bryant said the system is outdated and causes inconsistency in air conditioning and heating throughout the school. When dampers are closed to shut off air from one room that air is diverted to another room, thus making that room colder.

"The fault was by the architects at that time that it would be energy efficient, work well, and serve the needs of a growing campus," Bryant said.

Although the main building is on this system, the auditorium is currently on a HVAC (heating and ventilation air conditioning) system. The new wing will also be HVAC.

Bryant stressed that the best route would be to replace the chiller system with a HVAC unit under an energy efficiency company; however, Bryant said because of costs that the district would most likely only be able to afford to repair the current chiller system.

Teachers and students are feeling the effects of the current system and have been dealing with the problem for quite some time.

"When it's 59 degrees in a room it's very difficult for teachers to teach and also for students to pay attention and then some rooms are too hot, which can make kids sleepy and uncooperative," Dorsey said.

Many students and teachers alike feel like the problem is not being addressed appropriately.

"I think it is ridiculous to waste that amount of money to put a band-aid on it," Dorsey said. "We would save so much money in the long run over what it's costing for heating and cooling. They need to fix it."

After the board makes a final decision, work on the system

should begin within a month or two and take a few months to complete.

Allie Wade is a reporter for the Panther Post at Bullard High School.