Recent developments in the fight for air conditioning at Long Beach schools

May 2014: The Teachers Association of Long Beach distributed surveys to its members to determine how many classrooms in Long Beach Unified experience stifling heat. TALB received 200 responses from teachers with mixed results.

September 2014: The district asked schools to curtail physical activity and canceled all nonleague and league competition for two days. Additionally, Long Beach Unified communicated with parents about “hot weather precautions, including the need to stay hydrated.”

Parents, meanwhile, attend a school board meeting, pleading with the district to do something about the lack of air conditioning in older buildings across the district, which they say creates an unhealthy learning environment during heat waves.

October 2014: A heat wave arrived early in the month, leading the Long Beach Unified School District to close out the week with shortened school days.

Later that month, Long Beach Unified attempted to alleviate the heat by experimenting with various cooling methods in 140 classrooms at 12 sites. Classrooms were allowed to pick one of four cooling options: one swamp cooler, four ceiling fans, two oscillating pedestal fans or solar-reflecting window film.

September 2015: With the start of school, complaints from teachers and parents about sweltering conditions within classrooms reignite, prompting LBUSD to again test various cooling options.

Results of the prior year’s test were also released, showing swamp coolers to be the most effective at cooling classrooms, along with opening the classrooms earlier.

A heat wave strikes on Sept. 10, prompting parents to start a petition for air conditioning districtwide. On the first day, 2,700 parents had signed the petition.

June 2016: The Long Beach Board of Trustees votes in favor of asking for a $1.5 billion bond measure to pay for campus upgrades in the district, including $750u2009million for air conditioning.