Two D.C. public schools, Ballou Senior High and Cardozo Education Campus, shut down Tuesday after indoor temperatures climbed into the 90s and building HVAC systems could not keep classrooms cool. Cardozo leaders evacuated students, DCPS closed Ballou, and staff and families scrambled to get kids into cooler, safer spaces instead of stewing through the school day.
Cardozo math teacher Paul Abdou told WTOP that "my classroom reached a temperatures of 95 degrees yesterday" and that several rooms were already in the 80s by mid-morning. He said those conditions are "far from ideal" for students taking finals, Advanced Placement exams and state tests, a reality that reads more like a stress test than a learning environment.
DGS mobilizes spot coolers and plans repairs
In a statement to WTOP, the D.C. Department of General Services said it was monitoring HVAC systems across the district, assessing "contingency measures, including spot coolers and window units," and working around the clock to stabilize temperatures. The agency added that it is evaluating long-term fixes and intends to repair Ballou's cooling tower and pumps this summer, an effort officials say is aimed at keeping the next round of heat from shutting classrooms down again.
Maintenance records show seasonal work already in the pipeline
City procurement documents show Ballou is already on the district's cooling-tower maintenance schedule, which is why crews were zeroed in on that site for repairs; the schedule appears in a D.C. Department of General Services document. Cardozo's building underwent a $130 million renovation and reopened in 2013, according to reporting by The Washington Post and district records, a reminder that even relatively new or overhauled facilities are not immune to HVAC headaches.
What families should know
DC Public Schools says it strives to keep buildings open whenever possible and that closure decisions are guided by safety, meal availability and staffing. Families can keep children home, pick them up early or send them late, according to DC Public Schools. For the latest status on affected schools, officials say families should rely on district alerts and direct messages from school leaders rather than hallway rumors.
Officials say crews are working to restore operations and that repairs will continue through the summer to reduce the chance of repeat outages. Parents of students at Ballou and Cardozo are urged to monitor DCPS and school communications for updates on pickup logistics, meal service and testing plans as the district tries to keep instruction on track without turning classrooms into saunas.
