Parents, teachers forced to bring fans, portable ACs to overheated SAISD school

Repairs underway at Mark Twain Dual Language Academy

SAN ANTONIO – Summer may be over for kids, but that doesn't seem to be the case for students at Mark Twain Dual Language Academy, where parents said the air conditioners in classrooms are not working.

"They (the kids) come all red face, and you see the little sweat drops coming down their face," said Erica Olguin, a parent whose three children attend the school. "There have been a few accidents in the pre-K three and pre-K four classes, where they're taking their naps. They're drinking too much water when they go to take naps. They're, you know, soiling their clothes."

Related: SAISD addresses air conditioning issues plaguing campuses during first week of school

After poor communication between school officials and parents, a concern that prompted Olguin to create a petition on change.org. So far, more than 250 parents of SAISD students have signed the petition, hoping it will lead to the air conditioning issues being fixed.

"Just really trying to get it, get the parents together on the same page, to make sure that our voices are heard with the district," said Victoria Cavazos, whose daughter is a first grader at Mark Twain. Cavazos signed the petition and then took matters into her own hands.

"Today I went and I delivered a fan to the school for my daughter's classroom just to make sure," she said.

Read: At least 3 SAISD schools dealing with A/C issues Tuesday as students return

Between similar efforts by other parents and some teachers, along with repairs being made Wednesday, Cavazos said the situation seems to be improving.

"I walked into the school, the school was cool," Cavazos said.

But with a history of overheating issues dating back years, parents said there is some lingering concern.

"This isn't anything new to us," Olguin said.

Related: Two SAISD campuses without A/C on first day of school

School district officials said debris clogging some of the pipes is what contributed to the issue, and even though it was cooler Wednesday, crews will continue making repairs throughout the night.

SAISD is not guaranteeing an end to the air conditioning problems yet, but there is a board meeting on Sept. 16 when members will discuss what long-term solutions can be implemented.