Parents of Houston ISD students are enraged and concerned. The last few weeks have been mercilessly warm, and several schools’ air conditioning units have not been functioning.
Jessica Campos, who has two daughters in HISD – High School for Law and Justice (HSLJ) and the other in Project Chrysalis Middle School – has been receiving emails from Dr. Steven Shetzer, the principal of HSLJ almost every day.
“Our campus is experiencing issues with the HVAC system, and some areas are not cooling properly. Students are safe and, in some cases, have been moved to cooler parts of the building,” an email reads. “Our district HVAC team is working quickly to address the issue. Please rest assured that your children are comfortable and safe. There is no need to pick them up early as we have taken all necessary measures to ensure a conducive learning environment.”
Campos, whose husband works in the HVAC industry, said “working quickly” refers to issues that can be resolved on the same day or the next if one is waiting on expedited parts. However, the parents have been receiving the same notice for the last three weeks.
According to HISD policy, principals cannot send personal emails regarding issues like those with the HVAC system. The school district sends the emails instead.
Campos believes HISD campuses have faced AC issues in the past, but parents are now receiving regular emails as a means of promoting the $4.4 billion bond. “They’re [HISD] making it more obvious that we have problems with our AC because they want this bond to pass,” she added.
If the bond passes, it will be the largest in Texas and will fund projects like rebuilding and renovating campuses, improving campus safety and security, and updating HVAC systems.
The previous week, the president of the Harvard Elementary Parent Teacher Association, Anar Abasov, wrote an open letter to the HISD regarding the ongoing HVAC issues that the school is grappling with.
The letter sought to find a collective solution to ensure that students are safe and comfortable in their classrooms and the expected timeline for the issues to be resolved. It acknowledged the HVAC issues this year are not an isolated incident but one that has been plaguing the school for many years
However, this year, some classrooms are “still too hot,” with some being above the acceptable heat tolerance within the first hour of classes.
“Our dedicated teachers and the school administrations have been relocating these classrooms to cooler areas,” the letter said. “The solution cannot be to endure the present state until cooler temperatures set in later in the fall. We have received reports that the temperature is negatively impacting the health and safety of teachers, as well.”
The parents of Harvard Elementary have also been receiving regular emails from principal Dr. Shelby Calabrese. “Unfortunately, the HISD’s communication has not met the level of transparency and responsiveness that we believe is necessary in a situation of this nature. Nor has the practical response to the circumstances,” the letter read further.
Parents like Campos, however, are skeptical of the bond. During public board meetings, Houston’s community members criticize HISD Superintendent Mike Miles’ overhaul of the school district and his strategies for the New Education System (NES) schools. They also express distrust over his intentions for the board-approved bond that is to appear on the Nov. 5 ballot.
“As a parent who’s been in this situation since last year, I have seen how the money has been incorrectly used. For example, when they took over and spent millions of dollars on exercise bikes instead of fixing the AC issue, that is concerning,” Campos said. “At board meetings, I stand there and cry sometimes, begging for them to make some change. And all I see is them looking at their phones, eating their snacks. They’re not listening to us. Why would we give them a bond?”
Parents from Lamar High School, Crockett Elementary School, Lanier Middle School, Arabic Immersion Magnet School, Emerson Elementary School, T.H. Rogers Elementary School, and Michael E. DeBakey High School for Health Professions, among others, also took to social media to discuss HVAC issues students were facing in these schools.
Teisha Mayes, a volunteer at a dance class at Crockett Elementary, observed numerous times that the AC was broken and thought the heat “unbearable.” Children had to take the class in the hallway.
“Not only is the dance room affected, but also the choir room and the art room. This is absolutely unacceptable,” she said. “Students this year are now required to carry large traffic cones to the restroom, which are bigger than some of the kids. What’s the sense behind this? Our priorities should be creating a cool, consistent environment where children and teachers can thrive. Please do better.”
