Despite millions spent, ongoing HVAC failures at Albuquerque public schools hurt students’ learning, families say

Students in Albuquerque public schools are having trouble studying because of inadequate heating, ventilation and air conditioning systems – “an issue KOAT has raised with the school district for nearly 20 years,” the local television station reports.

One student who had recently undergone heart surgery was “all flushed, drenched in sweat” from the lack of air conditioning, said Annette Lucero, the student’s grandmother.

“She was a little weak and the heat was affecting her, and we called to ask what was going on. They said that they didn’t have [a] problem – they had a fan,” she said. 

“How can they study or learn or be comfortable when it’s not heating or not cooling?” 

More than 1,000 HVAC work orders have been submitted within the school district since the 2024-25 school year began and more than half of them – 610 – were still in progress, according to KOAT. 

“When there’s a complaint about a hot classroom, crews respond immediately,” the district explained in a statement. “A work order does not always connote a system is down, though it may not be operating at its optimum capacity. The prolonged heat wave Albuquerque is experiencing is obviously a huge factor.” 

The district also estimated about $30 million spent on HVAC systems’ maintenance and repairs in the past two years. 

However, current efforts are failing to address concerns from parents, schoolteachers and administrators over student learning, KOAT noted. 

“This is not the first year it happened,” Lucero said. “A couple of years ago, it was with the heating system. Another granddaughter got hurt trying to stay warm, and they had no heat in class.” 

One parent, Natalie Chavez, raised the alarm in 2022 when inadequate air conditioning caused health problems for her son. 

“Yesterday he came home and he was really hot,” she told KOAT. “He ended up throwing up in the evening, and I know there have been some kids that have been sent to the office because they aren’t feeling well because of the heat.” 

Chavez reached out to several staffers and supervisors, only to be told the school had submitted multiple work orders without receiving a response. 

“I know it’s public school and you don’t always get the best, but I think a comfortable learning experience is the least that they can do.” 

An estimated half of all school districts nationwide need to update or replace their HVAC or plumbing systems, according to a 2020 report from the U.S. Government Accountability Office. 

The Federation of American Scientists, a global policy think tank, has questioned the safety of school buildings despite the “sizable taxpayer investment” they receive. 

Outdated infrastructure has a direct effect on students’ health and ability to learn, contributing to problems such as asthma, obesity and lead poisoning.