The London District Catholic School Board (LDCSB) has achieved its goal of installing air conditioning (AC) in every school classroom. As part of a long-term plan, the project took years to complete.
The LDCSB Maintenance and Facilities Department identified this project as a priority approximately five years ago, making small but significant gains each year. The LDCSB utilized school renewal funds and set aside amounts each year to ensure schools and classrooms received upgraded systems. An added benefit is increased ventilation for the students and staff.
The LDCSB decided to make the final push around 2020. At that time, most schools had full AC but some only had partial AC. Partial AC included residential-style window units, which are inefficient and not very effective in a large classroom full of energetic students. The work was coordinated by the LDCSB’s five HVAC technicians, a HVAC apprentice, and a controls technician, who also service the equipment across the district.
The last of any old window units were replaced over the past five years with Variable Refrigerant Flow split systems, except for Regina Mundi College (RMC). A new RMC is currently under construction and will have a fully modern system.
The LDCSB continues to be the fastest growing Catholic school board in the province, up more than 1,500 students this year for a total of 27,500 students at 54 schools. The LDCSB has also hired more than 1,400 new employees, including 450 teachers, since the beginning of 2022.