The details
The forecasted freezing temperatures are coming about a week after the Houston area experienced similar weather conditions for the first time this winter.
During a Jan. 13 news conference, HISD Superintendent Mike Miles said the district’s heating systems largely held up during last week’s cold-weather event, but he noted officials will still likely be dealing with heating issues throughout the winter.
“We've got old infrastructure,” Miles said. “We're going to be fighting the heating wars all winter.”
Miles, who was appointed by the Texas Education Agency to oversee the district in June 2023, said the district will have maintenance crews working overnight to address any issues that may arise as a result of cold weather.
Some context
The repair or replacement of outdated heating and air conditioning systems was a major component of last year’s $4.4 billion bond referendum, which area residents voted down in November.
In addition to several campus replacements and renovations, the bond would have allocated $1.35 billion toward health and safety improvements that would have affected every district campus.
The failed bond package was presented to voters after HISD cancelled classes on Jan. 16 last year amidst temperatures hovering around 20 degrees.
After acknowledging the bond's failure on election night, Miles said the district would do its best to keep heating and cooling systems operational.
"On very hot or very cold days, we are likely going to have to close campuses to keep students safe,” Miles said. “More frequently, students are going to be forced to learn in conditions that are not ideal, in classrooms that are either too hot or too cold to learn comfortably.”
A closer look
While Miles has previously expressed regret over closing campuses due to freezing temperatures last year, he said additional closures are still a possibility this year.
“If it does get down to [temperatures in] the 20s, we're going to have several chillers and heating systems go out,” Miles said. “We'll try to get them online as fast as possible.”
In a Jan. 8 message to community members, HISD Chief of Public Affairs Alexandra Elizondo said officials will aim to keep classroom temperatures between 68 and 72 degrees.
Should classroom temperature drop below 63 degrees, Elizondo said students will either be sent to a warmer area in the building or a nearby campus.
HISD officials also said the district has space heaters ready to be sent to campuses experiencing heating issues.
What’s next
Many of the community members who spoke out against last year’s failed bond package acknowledged the need to address the district’s aging heating and cooling systems, but they also said they would still vote against the bond due to their distrust of Miles and the district’s board of managers.
HISD officials have not indicated whether they will pursue another bond election.
