NORTH PARK — Teachers at McKinley Elementary School in North Park say their classrooms have been unbearably hot for months, and they argue that the San Diego Unified School District is not moving fast enough to address the problem.
For nearly 10 weeks, Kindergarten teacher Frances Mackenzie said she has asked the district to repair the school’s outdated air conditioning system, which dates back to 1997.
Mackenzie said she has 24 kindergartners in her class, but so many students and staff members are enduring the same miserable heat in classrooms connected or adjacent to hers.
“We have headaches. We’ve had students with bloody noses, and by the end of the day, you are fatigued, you are exhausted,” Mackenzie said. “Every day, multiple staff, over 100 students walk into classrooms that are not properly ventilated. We’re fed up. It’s unacceptable.”
Mackenzie said the principal of McKinley Elementary told her a maintenance request was submitted back in July, but the repair still has not been completed.
In the meantime, the district supplied portable AC units, which Mackenzie said leak, require duct tape to hold together, and must be drained and emptied by some teachers daily.
“On a warmer day, it’s reached up to 86 and 87 degrees, which impedes our ability to focus and concentrate,” Mackenzie said.
Union leaders say this is part of a larger problem in the district.
Last September, ABC 10News was at Garfield Elementary when it faced complaints from parents after students fell ill due to overheated classrooms without functioning air conditioning.
“There’s no sense of urgency at all. It is not a priority; these AC systems have been broken for years, and the district is not taking it seriously,” Janell Small, a teacher at McKinley and a representative with the San Diego Education Association, said.
Small said the union filed a grievance over the lack of AC, but it was denied.
"So we did file a grievance with the district and everyone got denied, and they still have no air conditioning, but it shows that the district resolved their issues," Small said, adding that she hopes the district would give a more definitive plan and timeline to the issue being resolved.
"These are the classrooms that house the 3 3-year-olds, the 4-year-olds, and the special education students," Small said.
In an email statement, San Diego Unified's Facilities Manager stated that the unit serving McKinley’s classrooms requires a new compressor, which has been ordered. The District said it hopes to have the system repaired by next week.
The District said between 2013 and 2019, all San Diego Unified schools were fully air-conditioned as part of a major “heat relief” initiative.
However, COVID-19 protocols for high-density filters and increased air circulation put a strain on the school's HVAC systems.
When it comes to handling HVAC issues, the District said that after receiving work orders, its maintenance crew triages them based on their impact and whether they are affecting an entire building or a single classroom. While waiting for parts, they'll issue temporary measures, such as portable units or relocating students to different areas.
The District said McKinley Elementary had two HVAC unit problems, one in the admin/auditorium unit and another in the classroom unit. They said the classroom unit needs a compressor, and for that to be installed, they've ordered a crane to come in on Thursday. The District expects the system to be fully operational by Monday.
The statement in part reads:
"At McKinley, two separate HVAC units were reported to have issues over the last several months, one unit that serves the admin area and auditorium, and another that serves several classrooms. The admin/auditorium unit has now been repaired, however the unit serving the few classrooms requires a new compressor, which has been ordered and will be installed this week once it arrives. Repairs require a crane and have been coordinated with the site to take place on Thursday, when students are not on campus. We anticipate the unit to be fully operational by Monday of next week."
Parents and teachers are expected to raise their concerns on Tuesday night during public comment at the district’s board meeting.
