Extreme heat and pouring rain are some of the weather conditions that 65-year-old school monitor Jeffrey Koronec endures as he stays outside for nearly eight hours a day, five days a week, to do his job without air conditioning or shelter.

“It’s (the weather is) just physically and also mentally draining when you’re out there all day,” Mr. Koronec said. “It takes its toll, and it wears me down. I go home, and sometimes I fall asleep on the recliner, that’s how physically drained I get by the time I get home.”

Mr. Koronec has worked as a school monitor on campus for the past four years. His permanent post is in the faculty parking lot, where he watches over the main entrance to the school during the day. His responsibilities include making sure that students are wearing their IDs and approving their arrival, chasing down students who don’t have their parking pass out and visible, as well as monitoring faculty members, visitors, parents, and deliveries on campus. As the only school monitor who remains outdoors throughout the day, he also must scan for any potential threats that might come onto campus, calling himself the school’s “first line of defense.” 

West Palm Beach temperatures have averaged a high of almost 88-90 degrees over the last two months, according to US Climate Data. That said, Mr. Koronec is required to remain at his post at all times despite extenuating weather conditions in accordance with the School District of Palm Beach County’s policy for school monitors.

“Last year, a couple of times, the heat index went past 125 degrees, and I almost passed out,” Mr. Koronec said. “I’m exhausted because it (the heat) just defeats you. You can only drink so much water. It only does so much for your body.”

The National Public Radio (NPR) station in the Tampa Bay Area forecasts that the heat is demonstrating no sign of stopping, as Florida and the rest of the U.S. have seen above-average temperatures for the past few months. Given that Mr. Koronec’s only protection from these temperatures is a golf cart with minimal shade, he has needed to retreat to his car numerous times, turning on the air conditioning to avoid overheating. Yet this brief cooldown comes at a cost. Keeping the engine running to power the AC uses fuel — an expense he has to pay for out of his own pocket.

“At the end of the year, a lot of money comes out (of my paycheck),” Mr. Koronec said. “It comes out to be $500-$600 just to run that car (over the course of the whole school year).”

Mr. Koronec estimated that keeping the AC in his car to stay cool costs around a quarter to half of a tank of gas by the end of the school day. In addition to that, he must also pay for his own water bottles and sunscreen.

“From what I get paid here, I would say about a third of it is easily spent on gas, water, and other stuff to keep myself cool,” Mr. Koronec said. “It all adds up, and it’s not like my salary is a big salary in the first place.”

Mr. Koronec said that the shelter is important to him as a retired New York City Police Department (NYPD) officer who has suffered injuries that have inhibited his mobility. A hip replacement surgery this past summer also affected his ability to walk and therefore perform his duties on campus.

“I could barely walk up and down (the sidewalk),” Mr. Koronec said. “I can move a little better now (post-surgery), but I have my issues. Again, those are battle wounds from being a cop for 20 years.”

Recognizing these challenges, the school’s administration and the district proposed plans for a guardhouse during the 2020-2021 school year. Construction was slated to begin this past summer and finish before the start of school to provide Mr. Koronec with a guardhouse that would provide him with air conditioning and a roof over his head to shield him from the heat, rain, and other extreme weather.

However, even with Mr. Koronec’s hopes for a permanent shelter, construction was never started — despite Principal Blake Bennett advocating for it since she first assumed her position as principal at the school in 2021.

“When I got here, I was surprised there wasn’t a guardhouse because most of the other (Palm Beach County) high schools had one,” Principal Bennett said.

One part of the construction’s delay is the unique layout of the school’s parking lot; limited space, in particular, has prevented further progression of the project. Principal Bennett explained that space restrictions have also caused issues for previous construction projects on campus, such as the installation of new sidewalks and fencing. Additionally, the location of the drainage pipes in the parking lot has interfered with finding a suitable place to build the shelter. 

“It’s not just a matter of putting up a guardhouse,” Principal Bennett said. “They have to redesign the drainage system because the guardhouse needs to go exactly over where the drain is.”

Alongside these logistical challenges, funding issues within the school district have also contributed to the delay. According to Principal Bennett, the county has been implementing a “phase-by-phase plan” for the guardhouses, meaning they are only rolled out at a few schools at a time to conserve money and construction personnel. However, due to limited resources and multiple campuses being in need of one, the guardhouse project for the school was delayed by another year. 

“It’s inhumane to have somebody out here under these conditions for seven or eight hours,” Mr. Koronec said. “You can have all the rain and heat gear you want, but it’s not going to protect you (from the extreme weather). They have to put the shelter up. It’s been going on for almost four years now.”

According to Principal Bennett, the school’s administration had submitted numerous design proposals for a guardhouse, but their ideas failed due to not meeting the county’s other safety protocols and requirements.

“It has to go through environmental planning, facilities planning, and making sure that everything actually works first,” Principal Bennett said. “Unfortunately, this (project) is out of my hands because it has to pass all of the building codes and all of the district policies. I can’t just resurrect it myself. I wish I could.”

Currently, Principal Bennett said that a new design has emerged and is being considered by the district for construction, and work could start by “this summer.”However, the plans have not been finalized.

“Right now it is still a tentative date because of the work that has to be done,” Principal Bennett said. “We’d have to shut all of (the parking lot) down, and I can’t operate the campus like that.” 

While the time frame for the beginning and ending of construction is yet to be announced, Mr. Koronec said he “has to be optimistic” that the guardhouse will be completed by the next school year, and that he acknowledges the actions that administration has taken towards making the project a reality.

“Ms. (Principal) Bennett’s trying her best,” Mr. Koronec said. “That’s all I can hope for because she can only do so much. It’s still all of the upper-level people above her (handling it).”

With plans to construct a permanent guardhouse, Mr. Koronec and the rest of administration now solely await the green light from the school district before the project is confirmed to be underway. Until it is approved by the county, however, Mr. Koronec will still need to endure the heat, rain, and other elements while out in the parking lot. 

“I prepare myself mentally and come out here, and I do it to the best of my abilities,” Mr. Koronec said. “So hopefully if I’m back next year, the gatehouse will be up like they say.”

The School District of Palm Beach County declined to comment on the guardhouse’s delays and any information pertaining to plans for construction.