Henrico Schools leaders assure parents that AC issues are ‘top priority’ amid outages across the division
With classrooms in multiple schools reaching temperatures of more than 80 degrees, Henrico Schools leaders are stressing that repairs to air conditioning units are being made and more long-term solutions are in the works.
HCPS has consistently struggled with HVAC issues over the past several years. A reported 35 schools (nearly half of the division’s total 74 schools) experienced air conditioning issues last week. The outages have left certain classrooms, hallways, building wings, and at times, entire school buildings without fully functioning AC units as students and staff returned for the first week of school this past Monday and Tuesday.
The division does not have an updated list of the number of schools impacted, since that number is constantly changing due to both ongoing repairs and new challenges arising, said HCPS Chief of Communications Eileen Cox. But at a Henrico School Board meeting Thursday, division leaders assured parents and staff that “significant progress” was being made in HVAC repairs.
“Repairs are happening, systems are being balanced, and needed equipment is being procured,” said HCPS Superintendent Amy Cashwell. “HCPS technicians and contracted vendors are working extended hours to ensure that systems are assessed and actions are taken as quickly as possible.”
Cox said that temporary measures such as portable AC units have been placed in classrooms and common areas in buildings where repairs will take more time.
Cashwell also said that “broader action” is being taken by the division to address the more systemic issue of aging buildings and HVAC systems, and to improve HCPS’ process of responding to HVAC issues. One of those actions is the joint request for proposal HCPS has established with the county government, which Cashwell said has expanded HCPS’ network of HVAC vendors, allowing the division to “perform preventative maintenance and complete much-needed HVAC repairs more efficiently.”
School board chair Madison Irving (Three Chopt District) also said that the school board has pushed for more mechanical funding from the county, receiving $20 million for this fiscal year compared to an annual allocation of $2.5 million in past years, which will improve HCPS’ response to HVAC issues.
“The mechanical challenges we are facing across our system are not lost on this board…none of us is sitting idly by, nor is Dr. Cashwell and her staff,” said Irving. “Through our advocacy related to ensuring adequate [mechanical] funding that meets our real needs, leveraging grant funding, and more, this board is committed to making progress on this front.”
Parents and staff continue to express concerns about hot classrooms
Despite assurances from HCPS leaders, many parents are still frustrated by the continued AC outages and concerned about problems that may arise with HVAC systems this winter when temperatures drop.
Sarah Grubb, who has two children at Skipwith Elementary, said that the school’s AC problems are “far from resolved.” During the school’s open house last week, parents were moved to different classrooms due to AC issues in several parts of the building. When students returned this week, several classrooms, the cafeteria, and other common areas continued to lack functioning AC, she said.
“There are still multiple areas of the school without adequate air conditioning. The temperatures in some of these rooms are reaching 80-plus degrees – even with the blinds closed, lights off, and no students or staff inside,” Grubb said. “These are spaces where students and employees are expected to spend their school day.”
Grubb also said that the temporary AC units have not alleviated the high temperatures in the rooms and are not “a reasonable long-term solution.”
“Portable AC units have been brought in, but they are not actually cooling the rooms sufficiently. Instead, fans are being used to circulate the limited cool air those units produce,” she said. “The fans are extremely loud and create significant noise and overstimulation for students and staff, while the rooms remain uncomfortably warm.”
Henrico High history teacher Brittain Arthur, who has taught at HCPS for the past 21 years, said that they have been forced to move out of their “painstakingly decorated” classroom into a new room for the foreseeable future due to AC issues, which Arthur said have been ongoing for several weeks at Henrico High.
“This is the first year that I will not be able to provide that welcome, and all due to an issue that has been known, and yet largely undealt with. I have been coming to my classroom for the last three weeks to prepare it for this school year, and the temperature has remained steadily at 84 degrees or higher,” Arthur said. “This is wholly unacceptable, and constitutes what I believe to be gross negligence by county officials. This issue has been impacting our facility for weeks, if not months, and work has only begun over the weekend at the 11th hour.”
Aaron Billings, who has children at Ruby F. Carver Elementary and Quioccasin Middle, said that HVAC issues are not a new challenge for the division, and the colder temperatures this winter will be a “foreseeable problem” if HCPS does not preemptively address HVAC issues this fall.
“It should have been known over the summer that air conditioning did not work in multiple rooms, and I wonder why nothing was done before. But I am glad something is being done now,” he said. “I would encourage members of the board to consider ahead what the winter will bring…we all know cold temperatures are coming.”
School board changes school-naming policy
At Thursday’s meeting, school board members also unanimously approved changes to school-naming policy, which would steer the division away from naming buildings after people and instead recommend names with geographical, historical, or cultural significance.
Some recommended possibilities include the names of neighborhoods, parks, roads, rivers, natural features, and themes such as leadership, innovation, excellence, and stewardship. The new policy would not require existing schools to change their names to meet these standards.
School board members said the new policy was largely reflective of the current naming practice that HCPS already implements and simply puts that practice in writing.
“I think [this change] is excellent,” said Irving. “I think it’s a mistake to lionize and view people as these figures of idolatry and we should put their name on a building. It’s kind of recognizing that these [schools] are places for everybody and they should be welcoming to everybody and the name should represent the community.”
Liana Hardy is the Citizen’s government and education reporter. Support her work and articles like this one by making a contribution to the Citizen.
