Air conditioning in Nice schools: a decisive summer for work progress

The Mayor of Nice, Éric Ciotti, visited on Friday, August 14, 2026 the air conditioning construction site at Chalet des Roses primary school. This visit is part of a vast thermal renovation plan for Nice’s school buildings. The project is intended to equip 30 schools by the end of the year, for a planned investment of 2.9 million euros.

Located at 57 Boulevard de la Madeleine, Chalet des Roses school combines a preschool section and an elementary section. Both buildings currently show 70% progress on air conditioning work. The construction project goes beyond summer comfort. Starting this winter, the establishment will stop heating with gas in favor of the new reversible air conditioning systems installed this summer. “We are installing reversible air conditioning systems that will produce cold in summer and heat in winter,” explained Éric Ciotti on site. This switch represents, according to him, “potential savings of 30,000 euros for this school.” The construction project also includes replacing all traditional lighting with more energy-efficient equipment.

A campaign commitment launched in spring

This visit is part of a broader plan, undertaken by the municipality since April 2026. “We have launched this vast thermal renovation project for all our schools,” recalled Éric Ciotti, presenting this initiative as the realization of a commitment made during the municipal election campaign.

Two schools were equipped as early as Easter holidays, Crémat primary school and Las Planas preschool. Seventeen establishments follow during the summer. Château preschool shows 80% progress, Paul Essling school 30%, Chalet des Roses elementary and preschool schools 70% each. Capellina preschool reaches 50%, Arènes de Cimiez school 60%. Mantega and Sourgentine preschools show 90% progress, as does Saint-Exupéry preschool. Simone Veil preschool reaches 85%, Saint-Pierre-de-Féric preschool 80%, as does Jean-Marie Hyvert preschool. Ventabrun preschool remains the most behind, with only 25%. Four establishments begin work from August 17: Ronchèse school, Aire Saint-Michel school, Orchidées preschool and Jean-Marie Hyvert elementary school.

Eleven additional schools will be handled between September and December: Dubouchage, Les Acacias, Bois de Boulogne, Max Gallo, Moulins, Magnolias, Ray-Gorbella, Rosa Bonheur and Saint-Charles preschools, as well as Simone Veil and Jules Verne elementary schools. In total, 30 establishments will be fully equipped by the end of 2026.

Approximately 150 schools in total, one million euros in savings targeted

After these first 30 schools, 120 establishments remain to be equipped across Nice’s entire school system, which has approximately 150 schools. Calls for tenders are underway, with results expected “in a few days,” according to the mayor. The overall project is scheduled to begin in early 2027, for completion targeted for September 2027, with some work potentially continuing during the following school year.

On the financial front, the city announces expected energy savings of around one million euros in the long term, thanks to the end of gas heating in the affected establishments. Éric Ciotti also links this project to upcoming regulatory obligations, as the city must comply by 2040 with a decree requiring the electrification of buildings. “We will be ahead of that,” he assured.

The choice of schools treated as a priority responds to several criteria, detailed by Gaëlle Frontonie, Deputy for Education and Youth at City Hall. “Priority especially on schools where technically we could have a quick delivery and where the construction could proceed,” she explained. Preschools are favored, as are those that have recorded the highest temperatures.

The Deputy nonetheless acknowledges the limitations of the current schedule. “There are many schools that still suffer greatly from the heat and that have not yet benefited” from the work, she acknowledged, adding that these establishments remain a priority for the future. “Our dream would have been to do all 150 schools at the same time,” she confided, before clarifying that “the financial and technical conditions to be able to have the contracts weren’t there.”

Technical constraints also weigh on the pace of work, notably electrical connections. According to Gaëlle Frontonie, the network operator “needs to do work on certain school sites so it takes a bit more time.” The city must also ensure that each establishment is “clean and in good condition” for the September return to school.

Adama Sanogo