Wheatley High School’s air-conditioning ran out of water for its coolers, leaving students and staff sweltering in the heat. A student with a known medical condition passed out shortly after her mother picked her up from school.
Constance Coleman, whose child suffers from post-concussion syndrome and heat-related Syncope episodes, told the Defender she rushed her to the emergency room at the Children’s Memorial Hermann Hospital.
The incident at Wheatley HS is not isolated. It underscores broader concerns about aging infrastructure and communication issues in the Houston ISD, where complaints have persisted since the last school year.
While Heights High School students dismissed classes early this week, Harvard Elementary School students were relocated to other classrooms. Parents also took to social media to update others about ongoing HVAC (heating, ventilation and air conditioning) failures at their children’s schools, which included Hogg Middle School, Pugh Elementary School, Westside High School, Bellaire High School and Lamar High School.
The school district announced its plans to spend an additional $40 million on HVAC and other infrastructural needs in the upcoming school year. HISD’s state-appointed Superintendent Mike Miles had said earlier during a budget meeting that the school district urgently needs $1.03 billion in health and safety measures.
Coleman said her child was already dizzy at school and collapsed upon reaching home, her third time fainting that day.
“She was very hot,” she said, adding that the school nurse knew about the condition and her medical plans clearly state it. “She [the child] said she checked the temperature on her phone. It was 85 degrees.”
However, Coleman did not receive any information from the school until a teacher brought the child’s deteriorating condition to her attention. By her count, she tried to call the school six to seven times.
“No one called me,” she recalled.
Upon her last call, a front office staff member claimed the air-conditioning was not broken and “just needed water,” notifying her it was fixed and the temperature would change within the hour.
The student’s health scare is not an isolated incident, as Coleman said her daughter fainting multiple times before due to overheating in the classroom.
A staff member at the school confirmed to the Defender that there were no structural issues with the AC, but the coolers needed more water.
“There was no more water in the coolers, so they put water in the coolers,” she said. “But that takes time to generate and go into the building because it’s a big building.”
“Students are safe, and our district HVAC team is working quickly to address the issue. There is no need to pick your students up early, as we have taken all necessary measures to ensure a conducive learning environment,” Interim Principal Terrence King said in an email sent to parents.
A Wheatley teacher, who spoke with the Defender on the condition of anonymity during school hours, clarified it was far from the truth.
“It’s [AC] blowing like fan air, but it’s still extremely hot in the building,” the teacher said. “It’s like 90 degrees upstairs…and some teachers don’t have windows.”
The staffer added that classes were being shuffled into cooler areas, like the Team Centers, but it was not enough.
Meanwhile, students and teachers continued through the school day.
“There was an announcement saying that they had added water to the chillers, and it’s supposed to get better, but it doesn’t feel like it’s gotten better,” the teacher said at the time of the interview. “It’s been two hours.”
