Power outage leaves Thermal schools without AC as temperatures soar
THERMAL, Calif. (KESQ) — Questions are being raised about how Coachella Valley Unified School District handled a power outage at two Thermal schools Thursday as temperatures climbed well above 100 degrees.
The power outage affected John Kelley Elementary School and La Familia High School, leaving parts of the campuses without air conditioning.
The Imperial Irrigation District says the outage began around 10 a.m. Thursday when a vehicle hit a pole guy wire. The crash caused a primary conductor to contact the ground, resulting in a permanent fault in IID’s system. Officials said the permanent fault also damaged equipment inside IID’s substation, which slowed restoration efforts.
Power was restored to 298 customers shortly after 1 p.m. Power is back at the schools, but another 38 customers are expected to remain without power for approximately 4 to 8 hours while repairs are completed.
The Coachella Valley Teachers Association says the outage created unsafe conditions for students and staff because of the extreme heat. The union claims students remained on campus after the power went out and says staff members were directed to stay.
CVTA President Carissa Carrera said the situation highlights concerns about the district's emergency heat response.
“Forcing educators and children to remain inside uncooled desert classrooms during a power grid failure ... is not just reckless — it is a clear violation of California labor law,” Carrera said.
The union is pointing to California's indoor heat illness prevention requirements and says CVUSD should have an emergency plan in place for situations involving extreme indoor temperatures.
However, CVUSD says the initial power disruption at John Kelley Elementary affected only part of the campus.
The district says students in the affected classrooms were moved to classrooms with working air conditioning so instruction could continue in a safe and comfortable environment.
As conditions changed and electrical service was lost at both John Kelley and La Familia High School, CVUSD says it activated its emergency dismissal and transportation procedures.
The district says La Familia students were dismissed early and transported home by bus.
At John Kelley, parents and guardians were given the option to pick up their children. CVUSD says transportation was also coordinated for students who needed bus transportation home.
CVUSD also says its Heat Advisories and Heat Illness Prevention Plan were implemented in accordance with applicable requirements.
Stay with News Channel 3 for more.
