Gunston Middle School students will be dismissed just before noon today due to an air conditioning issue.
School administrators say they are “currently without air conditioning in the majority of our building.” The A/C troubles come as temperatures are expected to reach into the upper 90s today.
Separately, Taylor Elementary School is also reported to be experiencing air conditioning problems.
“There is an issue with the HVAC in three classrooms,” Arlington Public Schools spokesman Frank Bellavia told ARLnow.com. “The problem is intermittent and right now it is on. Maintenance is looking into the problem and we are watching it closely.”
A parent tells us that her daughter’s kindergarten classroom, another classroom and the school’s gym are “a sweatbox.”
“My daughter was talking about fighting to sit by a fan,” the parent said.
The letter from school administrators to Gunston parents, after the jump.
We have experienced an issue with the main air conditioning unit at Gunston. A repair that was made last week did not hold, and as a result we are currently without air conditioning in the majority of our building.
As a result, Gunston will be releasing students early today, and our dismissal time will be 11:54 a.m. The buses will transport students on their regular routes. Our Check-In Program will begin at dismissal, and will be open until 6:00 p.m. The program will move to the part of our building where the air conditioning is working for the afternoon.
We also have modified our schedule to allow time for students to eat at school before dismissal – the AC is working in the cafeteria. Additionally, with today’s modified schedule, students are able to spend time in the cooler sections of the building.
At the present time all of our APS Facilities and Operations staff are continuing to address this issue and we will provide an update. If you have questions, please feel free to call our Main Office. We may be reached at 703-228-6900.