Schools in the United States are hot, and it is becoming clearer that there is much work to do to correct the issue.

A 2022 report from the Center for Climate Integrity provided specific details on the depth of the issue. "As climate change heats classrooms across the nation, school districts are facing millions in added costs to install, operate and maintain HVAC systems," the report says.

The financial cost is overwhelming. The report states that climate-driven HVAC operations and maintenance will add nearly $1.5 billion to annual school cooling costs by 2025. School districts in New York City, Los Angeles, New York and Philadelphia will need to spend $10 million in climate-driven operations and maintenance by 2025, according to the report.

The heat in classrooms is impacting student performance. "Aging heating and cooling systems have been associated with decreased performance of students and staff due to classrooms that are too hot in the summer or too cold in the winter," according to a report in Colorado Newsline. "Some schools are even forced to close during extreme heat days, reducing school days and learning."

When the Straughn School District in Alabama constructed a new auditorium, architects from McKee & Associates paid particular attention to ensuring the building maintained a proper thermal temperature, even in the height of sweltering southern summers. School districts deliver a laundry list of must-haves in every project, and it’s up to the specifiers to deliver products that meet those needs.

"We try to get a balance of all the requirements so that the school board gets the best building for the money," said Walter McKee, the architect who formed the company in 1991.

Project Details

Construction of the $8.2 million auditorium started in the summer of 2022. The auditorium, which was built by Whaley Construction, includes seating for 906 and features a large state-of-the-art sound and lighting system. The building also includes classrooms for band, string band, drama and dressing rooms for theater productions.

"It will be a special addition here at Straughn that has been needed for a long time," Covington County Schools Superintendent Shannon Driver said in a newspaper article. "To have this facility to serve the three schools at Straughn is something special, and it will serve this community and schools well for many years to come."

Prior to the new auditorium, the district held assemblies in the gymnasium, cafeteria or library or at the nearby Lurleen B. Wallace Community College. Three schools – an elementary school, middle school and high school – are located in the complex in Andalusia, Ala. More than 1,300 students attend classes in the three schools, including nearly 400 in grades 9-12. The auditorium will also be used for meetings and as a storm shelter.

"The major challenge was finding a good site on the front of the campus," McKee said. "The front of the campus was consumed with the existing school. The site selected was at a joint between the high school and the middle school."

McKee & Associates have developed plans for many schools in Alabama and has worked with districts to make them comfortable for students and staff while also containing energy costs and sustainability initiatives.

"We designed the auditorium with high efficiency equipment, flexible controls and enhanced insulation," McKee said. "The largest issue with school construction is national codes do not necessarily fit the environment in Alabama. Such as enormous amounts of outside air being brought into the building, and then you need to deal with humidity and humidity control. Energy codes would be better to be adopted to the Alabama climate and the usage of the schools in Alabama."

Unique Solution

One of the unique aspects of the project to help contain heating and cooling costs and improve energy efficiency was the specification of four smoke vents that are painted white. The smoke vents, which were manufactured by BILCO, were painted with a white powder coat finish. The entire 23,000-square-foot roof of the auditorium is white.

"The benefit of the white roof is the reflectivity of the white, so it reflects heat," McKee said.

KC Construction & Roofing installed the roof with standing seam 24-gauge panels. The BILCO double leaf smoke vents measure 60 inches wide x 120 inches long and were procured for the job by Emack Slate Company. 

White roofs are becoming more commonplace, especially in school construction. A white – or "cool" – roof absorbs less solar energy, thereby lowering the temperature of the building. Conventional roofs can reach temperatures of 150˚  or more on a hot summer day. Under the same conditions, a reflective roof could stay more than 50˚  cooler. The roof can save energy and money in buildings with air conditioning and improve comfort and safety in buildings with air conditioning by reducing heat flow from the roof into the occupied space.

"BILCO was listed in the spec book as a supplier for the smoke vents, and we use BILCO whenever we need roof hatches," said David Hollis of KC Construction. 

Smoke vents assist firefighters in bringing a fire under control by removing smoke, heat and gases from a burning building. BILCO’s smoke vents are the most economical way to add fire venting protection in large areas and are equipped with powerful gas spring operators to open covers in all conditions. The gas springs have integral dampers to ensure covers open at a controlled rate and are also constructed with corrosion-resistant materials.

The powder coat finish on the smoke vents is a unique touch. The paint, which is frequently used on BILCO’s basement doors for residential customers, offers a superior finish to conventional paint. Products with the powder coat finish retain their exterior color for longer. The company’s steel vents are typically finished with an alkyd base red oxide primer.

Critical Need

The project in Alabama emphasizes an important dilemma facing many municipalities in the United States. School infrastructure needs serious investment. 

According to a report card from the American Society of Civil Engineers, 53 percent of public school districts in the U.S. need to update or replace multiple building systems, including HVAC systems. The report said 40 percent of public schools do not have a long-term facility plan. Public schools "often serve a secondary function as emergency shelters and community resource facilities during man-made or natural disasters, and facility upgrades are needed to effectively fulfill this important community purpose," the report said.

The Straughn project has four major functions. It gives the campus a large auditorium, delivers a quality room for a band, creates a fine art space and a storm shelter for the campus. 

"This facility will provide a great advantage and give the public an opportunity to sit in a comfortable, air-conditioned place and enjoy the events taking place," Superintendent Driver said in The Andalusia Star-News. "I would like it to be used all the time and as much as possible."

McKee & Associates have been designing schools for decades, and this was another important one for the community. 

"McKee is committed to designing high-quality buildings for the schoolchildren of Alabama," McKee said. "Over the years we have been very successful in this commitment and look forward to providing design services for school boards across the state."