Yesterday morning, students and teachers found themselves shivering in classrooms and department offices. A few faculty members either called or dropped by the main office to ask about the absence of heating despite temperatures in the 50’s. They were told that the heating would not turn on until sometime next week, due to budgetary issues.

However, there was one part of the campus where the heating was in fact running: the main administration building.

“I had more than the normal number of layers on, but I was still very cold. I couldn’t feel my fingertips at all,” said Dr. Halpin, a social studies teacher. When asked about the morning conditions for teaching, Mr. Rideout, a science teacher, simply said that it was “very cold.”

While teachers’ red noses reminded students how cold it was, the freezing conditions also affected the learning environment. “If I felt warmer, I would concentrate better,” said Dan Berdichevsky, a junior. “Everybody in the classes was freezing,” said junior Ro Perkins.

As the classrooms suffered, those in the administration and media center were enjoying warmer temperatures. Ms. Wolfson, the academic center director, said that she “did not feel cold in the media center.”

Others also noted the temperature differences between the main office building and the rest of the campus. “The main building was definitely warmer than the classrooms that I have been to,” said Magda Buczek, a senior.

Around 11:30 AM, Wayland Student Press asked Mr. Tutwiler, the school principal, about the availability of the heating. He said that the heating would begin “sometime next week,” noting that the heating schedule was district wide.

However, when asked about the ongoing heating in the main office building, Mr. Tutwiler checked the temperature of the main office with Mrs. Gray, his secretary, and said that the main office building was on a separate heating system and he did not know who had turned it on.

Around 11:45 AM, WSP contacted Patrick Morris, the Facilities Manager for the Wayland Public Schools, about the heating schedule and the discrepancy between most of the campus and the main office building.

According to Mr. Morris, the “heating is scheduled to begin on October 15th, based on the cost of oil.” Regarding the main office building, he said that “none of the heating should be on before the set date” and that he also “does not know who had turned it on.” When asked about how the heating could be turned on, he noted that any maintenance people could do it.

A few moments later, Mr. Tutwiler contacted WSP and reported that he has spoken with Dr. Burton, the Superintendent, about the heating. Dr. Burton said that of course the heating should be turned on. They have now decided to turn the heating on early.  By 12:15 PM, the rest of the campus began to receive heat, and as a result, the heating began nine days earlier than planned.

The administration quickly corrected the issue without leaving students and teachers suffering from cold temperatures, but questions remain: How could the school have avoided the issue from the beginning? Who turned on the heating for the main office building, and how can the community prevent such inconsistency?