Too hot to learn? Orange County school with A/C problems raises concern for parents

Parent Jennifer Rea considers the lack of air conditioning in her child’s Crescent Elementary School classroom during this week’s heat wave “unsafe for everyone,” she said.

“By the end of the day they all look like they are about to pass out,” she said. “Heat exhaustion and heat stroke are what they are being put at risk for. Unacceptable.”

Parents have been complaining about poor air conditioning at Crescent Elementary, located in Anaheim Hills, since the start of the school year on Aug. 16, and concerns have only risen with the temperature.

The school’s A/C system has struggled due to age in the ongoing heat wave, Orange Unified School District spokesperson Hana Brake said, and has been shutting off in the afternoons.

A heat advisory has been in place for most of Southern California; Anaheim Hills has been experiencing temperatures as high as 96 degrees.

“My daughters love school but they have complained about this heat. They are beyond exhausted, and even at dinner their appetites are not normal,” Rea said. “I am sure all of the teachers and the kids are experiencing some sort of heat exhaustion.”

To keep students healthy and cool, Brake said “the district is securing temporary air conditioning units that can be placed in a classroom should they be needed. In addition, our Nutrition Services Department is providing cold water for any student or staff member who would like some, and plans are in place to relocate classes should temperatures become uncomfortably warm.”

Crescent Principal Dustin Saxton said in a statement “our students are now, and will always be, our top priority and I assure that we will continue to do everything we can to make sure the learning environment is one in which the students can excel.”

Technicians from both OUSD and an outside contractor have been onsite since Monday morning, he said, working on the units and monitoring the classroom temperatures.

The district’s director of maintenance and operations has also spent time on the campus talking with families and explaining the solutions that are being pursued.

In response to the heatwave, many Orange County school districts have also taken precautions with their own campuses to make sure students stay cool and safe.

The Santa Ana Unified School District has been limiting outdoor activities and moving some to air-conditioned indoor spaces including gyms and multi-purpose rooms.

“Since severe weather events caused by climate change are now more common, we are continuously working to address and refine our policies to help keep our students and staff safe,” district spokesperson Fermin Leal said. “As of now, we have not had any significant number of reported cases of students or staff needing medical aid.”

In the Fullerton Joint Unified High School District, campuses have implemented a “flag system” guiding when it is appropriate to adjust sports due to excessive heat. If temperatures reach more than 95, all outdoor sports must adjust their practice regime to ensure extra water breaks and proper time to rest. If the temperature reaches more than 104, outdoor sports must be canceled.

The Tustin Unified School District, which can experience even hotter temperatures because of its location closer to the hills of Orange County, has shared resources with parents outlining how the district is keeping the students safe, spokesperson Rina Lucchese said.

“Children take longer to adjust to hot environments than adults do, and their bodies reach core temperature much faster. Children’s bodies have greater surface area to body mass ratio, so they absorb more heat on a hot day,” said one heat index flyer the district sent out. “Making sure children have ample hydration is the key to staying on top of the heat.”

Newport-Mesa Unified schools have escaped some of the worst of the heat with their proximity to the coast, district spokesperson Annette Franco said, but campuses still monitor the heat index to determine when modifications are needed to the district’s instructional program.

Soaring temperatures and the first weeks of school often intersect in Southern California. In recent years, districts have added air conditioning to more classrooms.

When thermometers rose above 100 degrees this time last year as students were returning from summer break, the Westminster School District released students early when campus systems were overtaxed and installed multiple temporary A/C units to keep students comfortable.

The Los Angeles Unified School District faced backlash from parents during last year’s heatwave wanting more shade for students and the school board and superintendent made planting more trees a priority. Additionally, the district has been swapping out its outdated buses for new, electric buses with air conditioning and WiFi.

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