School’s back in session, but the air conditioning is out in one Dallas Middle school. The district said it’s taking steps to keep everyone cool.
School's back in session, but the air conditioning is out in one Dallas middle school. The district said it’s taking steps to keep everyone cool.
"We recognize this is not ideal and apologize for the inconvenience to our students, staff and families," said Dallas Independent School District spokesperson Robyn Harris.
If you ask kids what it's like in Francisco "Pancho" Medrano Middle School, they all yell 'it's hot!'
"The water's hot, the classroom's hot, everything's hot," said Kanecia Hunter, a Medrano 7th grader.
Many tell NBC 5 they're frustrated, so are their parents, and on top of the A/C issues, they say the power went out at least once Friday.
Dallas ISD says Medrano, one of its newer schools, has an eco-friendly geothermal system. It's far below ground and has been a challenge to fix. Crews have been working on it since issues popped up last spring. They’re trying to re-create a system above ground for easier access.
Meanwhile, nearly half of the building is without working air conditioning and other areas are still warm because if that.
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The district added spot coolers and box fans. It’s also giving out chilled water and ice cream, as well as relaxing the dress code to allow for shorts. Still, parents and kids say it's not enough because people are getting sick.
“My daughter has come with headaches to the house. She said her head really hurts, it's really hot in there,” said Maria Ramirez, a Medrano parent.
“When I went and walked in the classroom, my stomach just started hurting and then I had went to the restroom, threw up, went to the nurse, came back, threw up two more times. My momma called them but they ain't do nothing about it,” Hunter said.
Crews plan to test the air pressure Friday night and over the weekend. The district is hopeful things will be fixed by Monday or they'll have to consider other options.
Dallas ISD tells NBC 5 these geothermal units have had issues in the past at other schools. They were all put in by the same contractor -- who's no longer in business.
