$3.2 million to replace heating and cooling across schools

What happened

On June 11, 2026 the board approved 2026-2027 capital outlay of $4,418,975, of which $3,216,257 goes to districtwide HVAC replacement. The superintendent told the board that HVAC problems were happening across the district and needed to be addressed comprehensively. During the year the district also handled emergency HVAC repairs at Central Middle School, a transformer at Parsippany Hills High School, a Mount Tabor roof replacement, and a Central Middle School rooftop unit that carried about $83,000 in rebates, leaving a net cost of roughly $75,000.

Why it matters to families

Heating and cooling decides whether classrooms are usable in a heatwave or a cold snap, and two schools already lost a day each to unplanned power failures during the year. Spending $3.2 million of capital money on HVAC is also money not available for anything else at a district holding its operating budget under a levy cap.

The evidence

The June 11, 2026 approved minutes list the 2026-2027 capital outlay items: assessment for debt service on School Development Authority funding $46,633, lease-purchase principal payments $1,155,085, district HVAC replacement $3,216,257 and capital reserve interest $1,000, totalling $4,418,975, and record the superintendent's statement about districtwide HVAC issues. The February 26, 2026 minutes record emergency HVAC repairs at Central Middle School and the Parsippany Hills transformer, and the September 10, 2026 minutes record the Central Middle School rooftop unit and its rebates.

The source