HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) — As we push through another Texas summer, the heat is giving us little relief. Houston ISD mother Isabella Bellini said that includes her child’s classroom at Anderson Elementary.
“We were sweating. It was definitely hot and humid inside the school,” Bellini said.
Bellini said she noticed the heat inside Anderson Elementary at her child’s kindergarten graduation in May. This school year, she says, she fears it is worse. She says teachers are now asking parents to bring in fans, and her child doesn’t want to go to school.
It’s not a conducive learning environment, and we just want what’s best for our kids.
Isabella Bellini, Houston ISD parent
“We’re talking about our children and our community. It’s not a conducive learning environment, and we just want what’s best for our kids,” Bellini said.
HISD has said it knows it has an HVAC problem. Failing infrastructure, including old HVAC systems, was one of the big selling points the district used last year when asking voters to approve a $4.4 billion bond. That bond failed, with many voters telling ABC13 then that they didn’t trust the state-appointed leader of the district, Mike Miles, to manage the money.
READ MORE: Voters reject Houston Independent School District’s $4.4 billion bond
Voters made their choices on Proposition A and Proposition B for the Houston Independent School District’s $4.4 billion.
“I would say even though the bond is shut down, we should still be prioritizing the learning environment our students attend. It’s triple-digit heat in the summer that should be the priority for our students,” Bellini said.
Eyewitness News recently obtained the district’s capital improvement plan for fiscal year 2026. That plan shows HVAC is still one of the district’s top priorities, with an estimated $19 million being spent to upgrade systems at 25 schools. Anderson Elementary is not one of them.
ABC13 reached out to HISD about Anderson’s cooling problem. They didn’t answer our specific questions. Instead, telling us that their policy is that when temperatures inside a school reach over 75 degrees, students are relocated to a cooler part of the school, or an early dismissal may be considered.
It’s triple-digit heat in the summer that should be the priority for our students.
Isabella Bellini, Houston ISD parent
“I’m just looking for communication. I don’t want to hear from my son and the teachers. I want to hear from the principal and HISD — what the solution is going to be and what the timeline on it is,” Bellini said.
Reporter Lileana Pearson did see what appeared to be a temporary industrial AC unit in the parking lot, but Bellini said it provides little relief.
For more news updates, follow Lileana Pearson on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
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