A/C Program Heads To Welles School

4 Other Buildings Upgraded Over Summer

GLASTONBURY — During the first two weeks of school, numerous Connecticut public school districts canceled classes due to the extreme heat and humidity and the lack of air conditioning in buildings. Glastonbury wasn’t one of them.

Over the summer, Glastonbury Public Schools completed the installation of air conditioning in classrooms in four elementary schools: Hebron Avenue, Buttonball Lane, Naubuc and Hopewell. Glastonbury High School, Smith Middle School and Nayaug Elementary School already had central air.

Now, officials are turning their attention to Gideon Welles School, the district’s school for sixth-grade students — and lone building without air conditioning. A $1.2 million plan to upgrade the heating system and add air conditioning at the school is going out to bid.

Superintendent Alan B. Bookman said during a board of education meeting this week he is confident the project will likely fall in the $850,000 cost range, which was budgeted in this year’s capital improvement plan.

Bookman said he is hopeful he won’t have to ask for the remainder of the funding in the next capital improvement budget.

“Pricing for [heat and air conditioning] is much less expensive than doing it separately,” Bookman said. “We hope it will come in less than [$1.2 million]. The designer came in with a number that was over $1 million, but he said he likes to give some leeway. He’s hopeful it will come in less.

“Some of the projects in CIP come in at a lesser amount,” he added, “some at a greater amount. This would come in at a greater amount. But some of the paving at the high