RICHMOND, Va. — Faulty air conditioning systems are affecting multiple Henrico County Public Schools, leaving students and staff in sweltering conditions as spring temperatures climb.
Parents at Skipwith Elementary School first raised concerns Monday, saying the problem has persisted for months and affects several areas of the building.
Henrico County
Parents frustrated over broken AC at Henrico elementary school
"The office doesn't have air, the annex building doesn't have air, the gym doesn't have air," one parent said.
Students have been visibly affected by the heat.
"They come home red face, sweating, just miserable, and don't want to do anything for the afternoon, because it was so hot in there," a parent said.
Parents said the building struggled with climate control throughout the school year, including a lack of heat during the winter months. They called for answers on when repairs would be made.
"We'd love some kind of an update from the administration as to what's happening, what's going on, when this is going to be fixed," a parent said.
Following numerous emails about HVAC problems at other facilities, CBS 6 reached out to Henrico County officials about how they were addressing the countywide issue. The district responded with a statement that reads in part:
"As springtime temperatures have reached record highs this week, putting stress on HVAC systems, our Facilities staff and vendors have been working to make appropriate repairs and adjustments to the systems to maintain comfort levels ... When classrooms become uncomfortable, our building principals take immediate steps to notify Facilities staff, move students and staff to cooler locations and give frequent water breaks. In some cases large fans and spot coolers are brought in to increase the movement of cool air ... Our 16 summer school sites will be ready to receive students when they begin in June and will be prioritized for repair if any issues arise."
The district also described broader measures to address the problem. The 2027 budget includes $14 million for aging infrastructure — compared to $2.5 million in 2025 — and funding to hire 4 more HVAC technicians.
Henrico County Public Schools also partnered with Henrico County Central Government on a proposal to expand HVAC capacity services, a move the district says would "improve both preventative maintenance scheduling and responsiveness to repair needs division-wide."
On Thursday morning, Skipwith Elementary parents received an update saying Facilities Management was on site addressing the HVAC issues. Parents were told some rooms were noticeably cooler and that staff would continue to monitor room temperatures.
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