FORT WORTH, Texas — Children at nine Fort Worth ISD schools spent part of their Friday in buildings without air conditioning, the district confirmed to WFAA.
It's the second time this week that some FWISD schools have lost cooling, though each problem is unrelated. Students returned from summer break Monday, Aug. 14.
This time, a school spokesperson said a private utility company damaged a fiber cable running to a Fort Worth ISD service center near the district's headquarters. During the ensuing internet outage, FWISD lost remote control of the A/C units on some campuses.
"We understand the importance of providing a comfortable learning environment for your child's education, and we want to assure you that their well-being remains our top priority," the district wrote in a notice to parents.
Teachers moved students to cooler rooms and quickly notified parents, who were allowed to pick up their children early. Dozens waited outside Carroll Peak Elementary to check out their students.
"It's too hot for that," said Jackie Hall, who retrieved her child from the school.
"A baby can pass out in those classrooms," she said.
By 1:30 p.m. Friday, the district said that the utility company that caused the internet outage had repaired the underground cable. The city of Fort Worth later identified the company as Conterra, which designs and installs fiberoptic networks.
After the district regained control of its air conditioners, a spokesperson noted it would take time for some buildings to cool down.
The nine schools that lost air conditioning are:
- Carroll Peak Elementary
- Luella Merrett Elementary
- Metro Opportunity School
- North Side High School
- Rolling Hills Elementary
- Springdale Elementary
- S.S. Dillow Elementary
- Waverly Park Elementary
- Westpark Elementary
Young students outside the school buildings joked they were grateful for an extra day of summer, but equally ready for cooler weather.