Middleborough ES Closer to Getting A/C

With temperatures expected to be around 82 degrees on Monday, Alan Southworth is preparing his 8-year-old daughter for the expected excessive heat in her classroom in Middleborough Elementary School.

“There were times in her classroom last year when the temperature reached 94 degrees by 7:30 in the morning,” Southworth said. “Who can work under conditions like that?

But, if County Executive Kevin Kamenetz gets his way, Southworth’s daughters and other Middleborough Elementary School students may soon be able to finally cool off in their classroom.

The Essex school was unveiled Thursday.

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The decision by Kamenetz comes after a year of lobbying by parents of Middleborough Elementary students, who took their case to local and state lawmakers. These elected officials included Gov. Martin O’Malley and .

Franchot has been one of Middleborough’s loudest supporters in pushing for air conditioning funding. If the budget items are approved, the county would reduce the percentage of its schools without air conditioning from 54 percent to 36 percent, Southworth said.

“This is just a matter of fairness,” Southworth said. “We pay the same taxes as everyone else in the county and why should our children suffer while those in other schools can learn in a much more conducive environment.”

Cathy Fialkowski, a parent who has twin boys in second grade at Middleborough Elementary School, could not have been happier after hearing the news regarding air conditioning at Middleborough Elementary.

Fialkowski and her sons were during a Board of Public Works meeting in October.

Prior to Kamenetz’s budget announcement, parents from Middleborough had been told funding for air conditioning wasn’t available and Michael Sines, executive director of the school system's department of physical facilities,

“I was shocked to hear about the county executive’s decision,” Fialkowski said. “It’s amazing what happens when citizens band together to fight for a cause they believe in to better their community.”

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