NORTH BAY NEWS Novato schools still hold classes during heatwave despite not having air conditioning
By SARA DONCHEY
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NOVATO, California (KPIX) — The lights were off and fans whirring inside classrooms at Lou Sutton Elementary School in Novato Tuesday as students, teachers and staff coped with hundred-degree temperatures amid a record-breaking statewide heat wave.
The school was one of three campuses in the Novato Unified School district without air conditioning, prompting the district to release students early at the three campuses for the remainder of the week.
“It’s unfortunate that there are still three schools in Novato that don’t have air conditioning. We’ve been working on this for years,” said Jessica Olivera, a parent at the elementary school.
Novato High and Hill Education Center do not have air conditioning installed either.
Lindsey, a stay-at-home mom who arrived to pick her child up early Tuesday was glad the district took steps to release students early.
“You worry about your kids when it’s not hot and they can’t get out of it all day so I was really glad actually when they said that we’re gonna have a half-day today.”
Principal Mira Patel noted the staff was doing everything it could to help teachers and students until class was dismissed.
“In the classroom from seeing about 84, 85° I’m sure that’s going up as we speak. And yes it’s uncomfortable,” Patel said. “We do have our fans going, the lights are off and we’re keeping activities indoors.”
Jan Derby, Novato Unified’s Superintendent, pointed to inflation and supply chain issues that delayed the district’s plans to install air conditioning.
“There’s no one that’s more interested in having air-conditioning than those of us at the district office that have to try and implement all of these difficult decisions,” Derby said.
But some parents were quick to criticize the district for what they described as a failure to prioritize student safety.
“How is it 2022 and we still don’t have air conditioning?,” one mom of three asked.
Robert, a father who lives blocks from the school, said he was extremely frustrated that the district hadn’t moved faster to make upgrades.
“You try to wrangle 30 kids under 10 years old to learn math in the heat like this—it’s not possible,” Robert said.
The district says it has already procured some of the equipment needed to install the air conditioning, but that it can’t begin construction until students were off campus for summer break.
It said it expects the projects to be completed by summer 2023.
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