JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Duval County Public Schools says one chiller is currently cooling First Coast High School as the district waits on a part needed to repair a second chiller following air conditioning problems reported during the first week of school.
News4JAX heard from parents, students and concerned residents this week about A/C issues at the school. On Thursday, DCPS provided News4JAX with two updates sent to families by First Coast High School Principal Ronnie Williams.
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In the update, Williams said the school experienced a building-wide air conditioning outage when “both chillers malfunctioned.” He said maintenance teams were able to repair one chiller immediately, while the second chiller requires a part that must be shipped from out of state.
Williams said that since the initial outage, the system has been cooling the entire school, though a “few classrooms have experienced intermittent outages.” When that happens, Williams said students have been relocated to classrooms with working air conditioning.
Students say heat has affected classrooms and common areas
Two students told News4JAX the heat has been noticeable inside parts of the school, including classrooms and common areas.
Senior Shylinae Wright said she expected it to be hot outside on campus, but noticed issues once she went indoors.
“When I first walked into school obviously it’s an outside school so it’s going to be hot anyway,” Wright said. “But once I started walking into the rooms that’s where it started getting hot.”
Wright also said the cafeteria has been a noticeable difference.
“It’s hot. It’s loud. Crowded,” she said. “It’s Florida. It was 100° yesterday and the fact that school has no AC when it’s supposed to be cool inside and outside. That’s a safety hazard."
Junior Natalee Maryon told News4JAX she also noticed issues in major spaces.
Maryon said the heat and crowded conditions can affect students differently, but said their is a concern for their safety.
“It felt crammed and especially for a lot of people like myself,” she said. “With bad anxiety disorders, it could affect a lot of us.”
District points to repairs and long-term replacement plan
In a district-wide message earlier in the week, DCPS acknowledged “intermittent AC outages” at some schools and said its HVAC team works to make repairs as quickly as possible. The district said students may be relocated to cooler areas while repairs are completed.
In the Aug. 13 update specific to First Coast High School, Williams said the “long-term solution is to replace the school’s aging chillers” and that district maintenance teams had approved plans to purchase a new chiller. He said families would receive updates as soon as a firm timeline is available.
The district encourages families with concerns to contact their school principal.