As the new school year approaches, Houston Independent School District (HISD) is in a race against time to ensure classrooms provide relief from the Texas heat. According to KHOU 11, in an effort stemming from over 11,000 heat-related complaints last year, HISD is implementing HVAC system upgrades across its campuses.
With less than a week before school starts, the district targets schools with the largest student populations and highest utilization for expedited work. Despite the urgency, some campuses like Heights High School rely on temporary chillers until their new systems, which are already on order, arrive. Gianni Ledezma, HISD's executive director of facility maintenance, stated, "Our teams are doing their best to make sure we’re providing that safe, comfortable learning environment for every campus that we oversee," as reported by KHOU 11.
The issue has been persistent and widespread, with HISD schools reporting more than 1,600 HVAC problems in the last full month of the 2024-25 school year alone, as per data acquired by the Houston Chronicle. The Rice School and T.H. Rogers School each reported the highest number of work orders with 28 in May. Additionally, the data shows a slight decline in HVAC issues compared to the same period the previous year.
Remarkably, compared to the same month last year, the number of HVAC reports has declined by over 26%. Ledezma expressed optimism about the ongoing HVAC upgrades, saying they "will help reduce the number of work orders in the upcoming school year." This insight was provided by Ledezma in a statement to the Houston Chronicle. HISD has committed $21.2 million towards these upgrades, aiming to tackle the air quality and climate control issues at around 25 campuses.
