Teachers, parents protest over Denver classrooms without air conditioning

A group of roughly 50 teachers, students and parents congregated outside of Denver Public Schools (DPS) headquarters on Monday to protest 60 buildings across the district without air conditioning, The Denver Post reported. 

The protesters described the conditions inside those buildings, with temperatures in the 90s, as unhealthy and harmful to students.

{mosads}“We’re here because it is too hot to learn,” East High School teacher Tiffany Choi told the crowd, according to the Post.

The group is demanding DPS take immediate measures to address the issue at the buildings that lack air conditioning.

Temperatures in Denver are set to stay in the 90s this week.

DPS spokesperson Will Jones told the Post that the district has brought fans and portable evaporative coolers to schools and is encouraging building managers to keep windows open at night.

“We very much appreciate the work of our staff in preparing for and coping with today’s heat,” Jones said. “We know the first weeks can be very hot, and we’ve worked hard to prepare our schools to handle days like today.”

Three of the 60 schools are set to have air conditioning installed at some point in 2020 while the other 57 will get “heat mitigation” work funded by proceeds from a 2016 bond issue, Jones added.

The Hill has reached out to DPS for further comment.