By Jonathan Friedman
Associate Editor

September 29, 2014 -- Current hot temperatures have not just been felt outside, but also inside the classrooms of the newly rebuilt Edison Language Academy. Parents and teachers told the Santa Monica-Malibu Unified School District board last week that the heat had become unbearable and was affecting students’ ability to learn.

School officials said they would be bringing in a third party to look at what has happened and figure out long-term solutions, but that short-term solutions were also being determined. One of the long-term solutions could be installing a central air conditioning system at the school, which was built without one.

Edison, which opened its new campus in January, was built with a supposedly environmentally friendly passive air exchange system. However, there is air conditioning working on part of the campus, including offices.

“The expectation that [the passive air exchange system] was going to cool the rooms like an air conditioning system would cool the rooms was outside what our expectations should have been,” said Assistant Superintendent Jan Maez, who said mistakes were made but did not want to place blame on a specific party.

Parents and teachers spoke of temperatures rising to well above 80 degrees in the classrooms.

“The kids are so good, but I’m worried about them,” said Edison kindergarten teacher Anabella Fullerton, who was close to tears. “They are becoming lethargic. I try things. I bring spray bottles. I wake them up. It’s very heartbreaking, not just for them but for all of us.”

Third-grade teacher Alma Williams said, “I have kids complaining of headaches every day … I have kids sweating in the classroom. I’m sweating while I’m teaching.”

PTA President Juanita Devis said, “We cannot wait any longer. When you go inside these rooms, they are stuffy, they are hot, they are poorly ventilated. And our children are getting hurt by it … they’re not being able to learn as they are supposed to. If you don’t have enough oxygen in your brain, you cannot learn.”

Several speakers also said the situation could raise legal issues.

“You have a liability problem,” said Edison parent Brad Green. “You better address it pretty quickly.”

Several school board members talked about the urgency of the situation. Board President Maria Leon-Vazquez called it "critical." Board member Jose Escarce asked Maez if the situation could be fully resolved in time for when school opens next fall.

"That’s probably a pretty tall order," Maez responded. "I don’t want to say it can’t be done because I don’t know what that long-term solution might be."

She added, “I don’t believe a long-term solution is going to be easily arrived at. It’s easy for us to be here and know the rooms are warm and air conditioning would fix that. I don’t know what all will be involved … let alone where are we going to find the funding for all of this.”