HOUSTON – According to Houston ISD administrators, four out of 247 schools are currently dealing with air conditioning issues.
KPRC 2 obtained video of water dripping from an A/C system inside a classroom at Harvard Elementary School. Parents at Love Elementary School have also reached out, saying their students’ classroom were hot.
HISD Administration sent KPRC 2 the following statement:
“Although many of our systems are older and need frequent attention, the HISD team is hard at work identifying and addressing any issues with air conditioning in our schools. We are aware that several schools have ac issues in a handful of classrooms and we are working to address those issues with both immediate and long term solutions. The students who are impacted by those few classrooms have been temporarily moved to other air-conditioned spaces in their school buildings so they can continue to learn in comfortable and productive environments. Out of HISD’s 274 schools we are aware of four schools with ac issues impacting a handful of classrooms. We are working to resolve the issues as quickly as possible. Temporary solutions are in place to ensure that students are learning in a comfortable and safe environment.”
Superintendent Mike Miles planned to hold a meeting addressing back to school matters on Wednesday, but the meeting was cancelled.
During Tuesday’s meeting, he said temperature guns were being used to monitor heat inside the classrooms.
KPRC 2 asked what the threshold is for heat inside the classroom.
“We look at 82 degrees to be too hot,” Miles said. “It’s not dangerous, but it’s too warm for a kid to concentrate or a teacher to teach well. So that’s warm, but there’s a balance somewhere and we think that’s the line.”
Despite the Wednesday meeting being cancelled, KPRC 2 sent the district questions, asking if the district completed walkthroughs to check the A/C systems before school started, how often they check A/C systems and what the long-term solutions should be. We are waiting to hear back.
Administrators said they hope the school board puts a bond before voters that includes upgrading air conditioning systems at schools.