HOUSTON – Even though the winter freeze has passed for now, heating problems linger at multiple Houston ISD campuses, raising concerns for students and families as cold temperatures continue across the region.
Houston ISD confirmed that several schools experienced HVAC-related issues, including Wheatley High School — a campus central to the Texas Education Agency’s decision to take control of the district.
At Wheatley, families said the lack of heat disrupted the school day.
One father told KPRC 2 he picked his daughter up early after learning classrooms were cold. A 10th-grade student said the conditions made it difficult to focus and that something needed to be done.
The Texas Education Agency has said the takeover of HISD was intended to boost academic performance and create better learning environments. But parents and students say ongoing HVAC problems continue to affect daily instruction.
KPRC 2 has previously reported from Wheatley during the summer, when air-conditioning failures left classrooms without cooling. Now, months later, heating issues are again drawing attention to maintenance challenges at aging school buildings, particularly in lower-income communities.
The situation comes as state lawmakers continue discussions around school choice vouchers and as HISD evaluates how funding is used to maintain and upgrade campuses.
HISD STATEMENT
In a statement to KPRC 2, Houston ISD said its Facilities and Maintenance teams responded immediately and worked throughout the day to address HVAC issues:
“Houston ISD Facilities and Maintenance teams responded immediately to any campus that had HVAC-related issues today, and our teams have been making progress throughout the day. Students and staff were made safe and as comfortable as possible while technicians resolved the issues. When and where possible, classes were moved to warmer locations on campus. For the campuses that were impacted, notifications were sent to families. We appreciate the quick work by HISD Facilities and Maintenance teams to ensure students and staff members could continue the school day.
Our facilities teams conduct districtwide heating checks at every building every morning, starting at 4:30 a.m.”
HISD also shared video of technicians working at Revere Middle School, along with a soundbite from Gianni Ledezma, executive director of maintenance and operations, for media use.
The district did not provide a timeline for when all heating issues would be fully resolved.
KPRC 2 will continue to monitor the situation as colder weather remains possible later this week