El Paso: Is Your School Too Hot?
As you all may know, last Earth Day, we won the district’s first-ever commitment to energy efficiency and sustainability. The board voted unanimously to commit to achieving carbon neutrality in the district by 2050, prioritizing union labor for projects and fully modernizing the district’s HVAC systems by 2028. In addition to these long-term goals, the resolution sets near-term goals, such as requiring cooling plans for overheating classrooms and completing 10 demonstration projects that address extreme heat and clean energy projects by August 2027
We Are Already Winning Cooling in Schools!
EPISD article announcing cooling plan
We know that making tangible improvements in our communities’ lives is about more than winning a policy; we need real change with real impacts on people's lives. So this summer we worked with EPISD to ensure that there were emergency cooling plans in place for the hottest schools in the district. After showing up en masse to bond committee meetings and board meetings, EPISD understands that we are a powerful, and organized voice of El Pasoans who are ready to roll our sleeves up and make the change we want to see.
Prior to the start of school, EPISD agreed to:
Assigning staff capacity to monitor, assess, and rapidly respond to extreme heat in the classroom
Purchase additional dry fans and portable AC units
Have onsite meetings with principals at identified highest-risk campuses
Commitments to begin design processes for new HVAC installations so, if when the bond passes in May, they can start the replacements right away
While we know the real solution will come with updated, modern buildings, these cooling plans are a step in the right direction. If even one school is safer for our students than it was last year, then that is a victory to be proud of. We’ve met with principals from Douglass and Park who’ve expressed great relief at the implementation of the plan and the aid it brings to hundreds of students and teachers as they start the new school year.
But we want to hear from you. What conditions are you or your children facing during back to school this year? Are your classrooms getting the cooling they need, or are they too hot?
How Can You Be a Part of This?
The more people we organize in this effort, the bigger the wins that we can achieve. Be part of creating the schools we deserve & join the Escuelas Frescas Team! Message or call me at this number to join! 📲 915-247-7899
