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Several pre-k and kindergarten parents are frustrated after air conditioning doesn't work at Horace Mann Elementary School as temperatures are expected to soar
WASHINGTON — Several parents are voicing their concerns and frustrations about the learning environment for their pre-K and kindergarten children at Horace Mann Elementary School in Northwest D.C. There is no air conditioning in some first floor classrooms and hallways.
"I'm at the point where I'm ready to pull my kids out at least for a week or so until this gets fixed," explained Hugh Barrett, whose son Luke is in kindergarten. "It's not okay."
Claire Wilder's son Grayson is in pre-K, and she got a note from the school with a recommendation - dress your kids in light clothing this week, as temperatures are expected to soar into the upper 90s in DC.
"Should we send them with popsicles? What are we supposed to do?" she said.
Parents say a large part of their frustration is the lack of planning, when heat isn't a new phenomenon for this time of year.
"The fact that they didn't proactively do anything about it right away and didn't consider it urgent is a little concerning," explained Sarah Lopez. "They just had several months off. The fact that they didn’t address it city wide is pretty concerning, especially because it’s a safety hazard for the kids. It’s a health hazard. I would consider that just as important as fire alarms and other such things."
All of these parents say they've reached out to the Department of General Services and put in work orders. We checked the website, only to find that there are 841 open work orders across the city in the "HVAC services" category.
At Horace Mann Elementary, there is a work order for a cooling issue that was estimated to be fixed on Aug. 31, and another one that's scheduled to be fixed on Sept. 15. Parents say this is unacceptable because their kids and teachers deserve better circumstances to learn in.
"It's a little ridiculous that they haven't gotten help for the teachers and the kids because it's exhausting to be in heat right?" explained Wilder. "It's hard to be in school for eight hours a day with it being so, so hot!"
Barrett expressed concern about the safety of the learning environment without air conditioning.
"What's the point of them being in there when they're sweating, can't concentrate, teachers can't concentrate and it's dangerous," he said.
WUSA9 reached out to Ward 3 Councilmember Matt Frumin, who said he was told someone will be at the school on Tuesday morning to fix the air conditioner. Frumin said he himself will be there later in the morning to make sure it actually gets fixed.
WUSA9 will continue to follow this story.
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