Parent tells APS board Atrisco Heritage classrooms exceed 90°F; urges capital repairs instead of 'band-aids'

ALBUQUERQUE — At the Board of Education public forum on Aug. 20 a parent urged district leaders to address ongoing cooling failures at Atrisco Heritage Academy, saying multiple classrooms regularly reach temperatures above 90 degrees and that portable window units are an inadequate temporary fix.

“Teachers are being forced to teach in unbearable heat because the chiller at Atrisco Heritage Academy keeps breaking down,” Theresa Garcia told the board. “Speaking to the staff, it isn’t a new issue. It’s been happening since 2009. They have purchased window units, but not all classrooms have windows where it’s a band‑aid and the system should be properly fixed.”

Garcia raised safety, health and learning concerns and asked the board to coordinate city, county and state partners and to allocate funds to repair central HVAC systems and improve site lighting and sidewalks near schools.

She cited figures that the district’s capital budget is $473,000,000 and the operating budget is $2.3 billion, and asked why basic building needs persist despite large budgets. The board did not take any formal action during public forum; staff indicated comments would be taken under advisement and followed up on.

The district’s public materials list capital- and facilities-repair processes and funding as matters handled through the capital planning and facilities offices; no repair or procurement decision was announced at the meeting.