Students in Providence schools have faced cold conditions this week as the district tries to make repairs. Officials have used delays while work continues.
The district is trying to make repairs amid heating problems at Providence schools.
Beyond the four schools with confirmed boiler issues, cold conditions have cropped up elsewhere. The gym at Alvarez High School has been freezing, while the nurse's office and front office at Leviton Dual Language School have also been cold.
Power Outage Compounds Problems at Nathanael Greene
The scramble for warmth created a new headache Wednesday at Nathanael Greene Middle School, where the entire second floor lost power after numerous space heaters were running at once, the newspaper reported. Lindsay Paiva, president of the Providence Teachers Union, visited the school Wednesday and said the outage disrupted classroom lessons that depend on digital technology, since the district's curriculum relies on smart boards and computers.
At Nathanael Greene, the boiler itself was repaired and was running again that morning, the district said. Officials plan to install an additional boiler at the school over the summer to provide redundancy and more efficient heat going forward.
Central High's boiler was also repaired, though additional problems turned up during a state inspection that same morning, and crews are repairing those issues as well. At George West Elementary, boiler repairs are continuing; the district may operate that boiler manually with a technician on site if a state inspector approves, and said it will provide additional space heaters there if that approval isn't granted. The district is also exploring options to install a new boiler at George West altogether.
Hope High's Boiler Trapped Inside a Construction Zone
Hope High School's situation carries an added complication: its boiler sits inside the designated work zone of a separate construction project, and the district says it was inaccessible without the Providence Public School District's knowledge or authorization. The construction company has agreed to extend work hours and finish that job by Friday, after which the maintenance company will conduct new air-quality tests before heat is fully restored.
Union Leader Points to Years of Documented Complaints
Paiva said boiler and cold-office grievances have been documented for years, and argued the current heating problems reflect broader district mismanagement and financial mistakes rather than a one-off breakdown. She said building-level administrators and staff do not have access to temperature controls, since the district's central office sets temperatures for all schools, and she argued that distance from day-to-day school experience contributes to neglect of regular maintenance. Paiva has also said the district prioritizes consultants, computer programs and central-office chiefs over basic school functionality, the Journal reported.
There is no federal mandate on the minimum temperature for workplaces; the Occupational Safety and Health Administration does not require a specific minimum but recommends a range of 68 to 76 degrees, according to the same report.
A District Grappling With Aging Buildings and Tight Budgets
The heating troubles surface against a backdrop of aging infrastructure across Providence's school system. The average Providence school building is 75 years old, and many are more than a century old, according to Rebuild PVD Schools, the district's capital-projects initiative, which says it has more than $500 million available to invest in modernizing facilities. A capital project update posted to that site is dated October 27.
Lindsay Paiva is the president of the Providence Teachers Union.
