MADISON, Wis. — A temporary heating system put in place amid construction at La Follette High School in Madison is to blame for temperatures plummeting in portions of the school on Tuesday, a Madison Metropolitan School District spokesperson said.
Multiple people reached out to News 3 Now on Tuesday with concerns about frigid temperatures inside classrooms this week. In one email, a person provided a photo of a thermometer reading 50 degrees inside a classroom.
In an email to News 3 Now Tuesday afternoon, MMSD spokesperson Tim LeMonds said the temporary heating system is being used while crews work to install new boiler components at the school.
“A short delay in the delivery of parts” led the contractor, Findorff, to use the temporary system, which “was not able to adequately keep up with unseasonably cold conditions,” he wrote, adding only portions of the building were affected.
As of Wednesday afternoon, LeMonds said the temporary system’s capacity has been increased and the affected areas of the building were back to normal temperatures.
“The new boiler equipment will begin to be brought back online tomorrow,” he said.
FROM 2020: Madison voters approve historic referendum for MMSD schools
Construction began at La Follette earlier this year after voters passed a $317 referendum in 2020 to renovate the city’s high schools and build a new elementary school. La Follette’s renovation includes multiple additions, including a new gym and weight room, as well as upgrades to classrooms and the library media center.
Work is scheduled to last through August 2024, according to the district’s website.
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