LBUSD’s Air Conditioning Timeline Expedited

The Long Beach Unified School District accelerated the planned installation of heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) systems at several District schools in response to fall’s record heat wave and the increasing frequency of extreme heat and poor air quality days.

The District’s installation of new, energy efficient HVAC systems is funded by LBUSD’s Measure E bond. All District schools will have air conditioning in the next five years under the accelerated Measure E timeline except for Polytechnic High School, whose AC installation is slated to finish in 2028. Poly’s multiyear renovation is scheduled to begin in 2024 with the construction of a new classroom building. This building will provide interim housing for students as air conditioning and other upgrades are completed in the school’s existing facilities.

State matching funds totaling $65 million expected this fiscal year made it possible for the District to accelerate Measure E’s timeline. Matching funds from the state have averaged $12.7 million in the last five fiscal years. The District’s recently-approved Measure Q bond will provide new, high-efficiency air conditioning at aging campuses that did not need air conditioning under the Measure E program but now have systems approaching end of life. The $1.7 billion bond measure will also fund upgrades that facilitate 21st century learning and renovations that prepare students to succeed in college and careers.

The installation of air conditioning is, by necessity, a multiyear project due to various factors including design planning, available labor, materials and school bond funds, which are issued in increments. The updated Measure E project timeline reflects these factors and the availability of interim housing for students who are relocated as schools are renovated.

The updated timeline also accelerates the planned installation of all-weather fields at Sato and several middle and K-8 schools. Construction of all Measure E projects will conclude in the 2029-30 school year.

The District’s updated Measure E timeline is available at lbschoolbonds.net.