By Alohi Bikle, Kahuku High correspondent

Kahuku High & Intermediate School was recently selected to pilot test a heat abatement project involving "energy saving" cooling designs on several different portable classrooms around campus; but the project, which will cost less than installing air conditioning, is already a bit behind schedule.

Last year representatives from Group 70 International, the University of Hawaii School of Architecture and the State Department of Business Economic Development and Tourism approached Kahuku High teacher Julian Tyrell to come up with some designs for the portables.

"The students were divided into three groups and learned to use a totally new software, a drawing program, which they used to construct possible designs of portables that included several cooling methods in them," said Tyrell. He added that when the representatives told him, "We took longer than expected, and we did not meet the deadline…the kids were disappointed."

In an earlier interview with the Honolulu Advertiser, Charles Kaneshiro, principal of the group heading the project, Group 70, said that there still is a possibility of using the designs drafted by Tyrell's students.

Many thought that the project was slated to start during the summer, however already one month into the school year, the four portables that were closed for the project, remain so. Teachers, students and even parents are asking why.

Craig Knohl, current teacher and cross country coach at Kahuku, was one of the teachers whose classrooms were shut for the project. Although he declares he is not a "floater" — a term used to described the teachers affected by the project because they "float" from classroom to classroom, period by period — he said, "Something should've been done earlier…like the installations of ceiling fans, etc."

However, Kahuku High acting principal Patricia Macadangdang pointed out, "A project like this, one that is so big, was decided on to combat the heat problem once and for all…and it takes time."

Kahuku Business Manager Shelly Carreira explained that a "bid process" also held up operation heat abatement. She said several contracting companies were vying for the job, but the bidding war is finally over and the winning contractor will soon meet with school officials to discuss the project details.

For example, plans now call for Kahuku to test four cooling methods on four portable classrooms selected from the 11 in use, because temperatures inside them sometimes reached over 100 degrees.

Students such as senior Tiana Atuaia, are relieved that something is finally going to be done. "I'm glad the project is underway. Four portables, that's a lot of classroom space being wasted," she said. "I know that heat is a big problem and it should be combated; classroom space is too, and the sooner this project gets done, the better it will be for the teachers and especially the students."

Two of the possible portable classroom
heat abatement designs

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