Por Redaccion 
The Vélez-Málaga City Council has taken a decisive step this morning to ensure the satisfaction of the needs and demands expressed by citizens. With the ongoing work carried out by the local government in one of our schools, a request made by the educational community has been addressed, echoing the overall tone since the beginning of the term, approximately two years ago, by the municipal management. The Las Naciones Elementary School in Vélez-Málaga now houses the adaptation work of a shade pergola.
During the morning, the mayor of Vélez, Jesús Lupiáñez, the councilor of Municipal Buildings, Jesús María Claros, and the councilor of Education, Lourdes Piña, visited the school complex to oversee, along with the school principal, Lourdes Fernández, the installation of a new efficient and sustainable air conditioning system in the kindergarten classrooms, responding to "the priority needs of the schools, contributing to the well-being of the educational sector and adding this action to those carried out in a dozen local centers," emphasized the local mayor.
Regarding the shade pergola adaptation work, Jesús Lupiáñez described the intervention as "absolutely necessary and a priority," focusing on the Las Naciones complex, where "we have worked promptly, following the appropriate channels, for the execution of a project requested by the school’s board and the parents’ association, which represents a crucial advancement in the conditions of the teaching staff and students." The local leader emphasized that the preparation of this shade pergola "will be an important element to counteract the impact of high temperatures," a weather condition that occurs frequently during the current season.
The structure to be installed will cover an area of 110 square meters, with an allocated cost of 14,600 euros, and will be located in the Kindergarten playground area, serving as a shade island and shelter from the sun for outdoor teaching activities and student recreation periods. This infrastructure is part of the municipal strategy to provide public educational centers with more comfortable and sustainable environments.
Air Conditioning
In another development, municipal representatives have also announced the installation of nine split-type air conditioning units, inverter A++, with a heat pump system and high energy efficiency, in the Kindergarten building, aiming to "improve the thermal conditions in the classrooms that accommodate students aged 3 to 5," specified the Municipal Buildings councilor. This action represented an investment of 11,870 euros for the municipal coffers and focused on the nine kindergarten classrooms, a single-story building with high direct solar exposure during a significant part of the year. Considering "the special sensitivity of students of these ages, we have prioritized this intervention within our plan to improve educational infrastructures," clarified Claros.
The Education councilor, Lourdes Piña, expressed her "great satisfaction" with the implementation of "an important improvement, highly demanded by the educational community," and highlighted that the outdoor units were installed "safely and orderly" on the flat roof of the building, ensuring an efficient distribution of the equipment and their optimal functioning. "An individualized system has been designed, allowing the autonomy of the indoor units, to provide personalized cooling in each classroom, based on their energy demand, occupancy, and user comfort conditions. The selected equipment meets criteria of energy efficiency, low noise levels, and adaptability to school environments," added the Municipal Buildings delegate.
The installation of the new air conditioning units, along with the adaptation work on the new pergola, represent two highly relevant projects for the educational center and are part of the ambitious plan of the Vélez City Council to "equip the different classrooms in schools with necessary, modern, and efficient infrastructures," contributing to "meeting the appropriate standards for minors’ class attendance and the essential work of the teaching staff," emphasized Claros.
With this line of development, "we take another step in our firm commitment to invest in quality education, caring for both students and teaching staff. Additionally, this project demonstrates our commitment to sustainability by choosing highly efficient equipment that contributes to environmental care," concluded the Vélez mayor.
Finally, the school principal, Lourdes Fernández, also expressed her appreciation for the actions taken by the local government, responding to "a request made since we opened the doors. It is true that we have a new and open school, but in terms of shade, we are located in an environment where this infrastructure is necessary, especially now in summer, as we have summer camps in July and August, so it is also very important to already have air conditioning in the classrooms."
The intervention at Las Naciones Elementary School adds to another ongoing project, at the Axarquía Elementary School, and, before the Christmas period of 2024, to more than 60 air conditioning units with heat pumps and energy efficiency A++ integrated in a dozen schools in the locality, including Nuestra Señora de los Remedios Elementary School (South Zone), Juan Herrera Alcausa Elementary School, Vicente Aleixandre Elementary School, and Custodio Puga Elementary School in Torre del Mar, San Faustino Elementary School in Benajarafe, Genaro Rincón Elementary School in Caleta de Vélez, Juan Porras Elementary School in Triana, Torrejaral Elementary School in Cajiz, and Valle-Niza Elementary School.
In this way, the Vélez-Málaga City Council reaffirms its commitment to education, carrying out concrete actions that positively impact the daily lives of students and the entire educational community. With initiatives like this, the municipality continues to move towards a more sustainable and equitable future.