California just had its hottest few weeks of the year. Though the heat causes problems for many people, it is nothing atypical of California weather. During this time, it is crucial that students are able to have an air conditioned space to escape the heat. In the midst of the hottest weather, the MPR was open to students during lunch. However, one major problem during this heatwave was the air conditioning in classrooms.

While there were extreme temperatures outside, the air conditioning in some of the classrooms stopped working, and in one classroom it even caught on fire. This leaves students in classrooms with no air conditioning on some of the hottest days of the year. Not only is the heat uncomfortable, but it can prove hazardous. Students need to be able to stay in a cool, comfortable classroom to ensure a productive learning environment.

However, this is not limited to students’ comfort. Teachers stay in the same classroom all day, which can prove to be quite uncomfortable if there is no air conditioning. The Chino Valley Unified School District states in their Heat Illness Prevention Program that “employees have access to offices, classrooms, or other buildings with air conditioning.” A teacher needs access to an air conditioned classroom while the temperatures outside are in the hundreds due to the fact that they cannot simply leave their students to find a place to cool off.

Many students hope that the school district will soon take action to fix the broken air conditioning. In the meantime, the hope is that we do not get hit with another extreme heatwave in the midst of these problems, and be able to stay in a cool, comfortable climate.