The decades-long argument over air-conditioning Hawai'i's public schools took center stage at the state Capitol yesterday when more than 400 students from Campbell High School marched for cooler classrooms.

Only 21 of Hawai'i's 258 public schools, excluding charter schools, are fully air-conditioned. Most teachers resort to oscillating fans or handing out wet paper towels to keep students cool and focused.

School officials say the problem is money. There are limited funds — about $5 million a year — set aside by the state Legislature for air conditioning, while cooling every classroom would cost an estimated $750 million. At the current rate of funding, that work would take 140 years to complete.

"There just isn't enough money to air-condition every school," said Randy Moore, DOE assistant superintendent.

Campbell teachers and students said, while it may take decades to get to all the schools, their school should be near the top of the list.

"Pack a classroom full of 30 students and make them sit through 100 degrees. Only in Hawai'i would we call this a fair and decent education," said Corey Rosenlee, a social studies teacher at Campbell.

In addition to heat, Rosenlee said class time is frequently interrupted by the loud rumbling of commercial jets that pass over the 'Ewa Beach school.

During the rally, the crowd of mostly ninth-grade students voiced their opposition to a revised Department of Education list of schools needing air conditioning that dropped Campbell from No. 7 in priority to No. 70.

"It's hard to concentrate when it's so hot," said Diana Guiang, a freshman at Campbell. She said students often argue over who gets to sit near the fans in the classrooms.

It gets even worse when teachers have to close their doors to block out the noise from the airplanes overhead, she said.

"Other schools have air conditioning, but we have to suffer," said Sabrina Potter, also a Campbell freshman.

'OUR SCHOOL IS HOTTER'

A study released in November found temperatures at Campbell can reach a high of 88 degrees — a number Campbell teachers and students question.

"We have concrete evidence that our school is hotter," Rosenlee said.

Rosenlee said that some teachers took their own temperature measurements of classrooms and found it can get as hot as 99 degrees.

"The results (of the DOE's priority list) are flawed," said Rep. Kymberly Pine, R-43rd ('Ewa Beach, Iroquois Point, Pu'uloa). "We live in the hottest place in the whole state."

Pine is pushing a bill that would appropriate $12 million for air conditioning at Campbell.

Moore said the current list of hottest schools should not be seen as a final priority list.

"Because that list does not consider noise and dust, it will not be used to make a determination of who gets air conditioning," he said. "The list only looks at heat and it should not be interpreted as the definitive list."

He acknowledged Campbell has a unique problem with noise and even dust from the dry 'Ewa plains, factors that would likely push Campbell up in priority.

SPREADING THE MONEY

Moore said the DOE is looking at ways to spread limited heat-abatement money around to as many schools as possible.

DOE officials say they are studying less expensive ways to cool schools, from reflective roofs to sun-shading devices, to vents and ceiling fans.

The DOE is currently conducting a pilot project at 'Ewa Beach Elementary and Kahuku High & Intermediate Schools, where various heat abatement options are being tested, including solar ventilation and extra insulation.

The results of those projects will determine how DOE officials decide to proceed with cooling schools, Moore said. While air conditioning remains an option, Moore said the DOE must examine energy-saving alternatives as well.

Reach Loren Moreno at lmoreno@honoluluadvertiser.com.