WASHINGTON — As temperatures head toward the upper 90's on Wednesday, hundreds of DCPS students will be entering classrooms with broken HVAC systems.
The Department of General Services public work order dashboard shows more than 600 open requests — nearly 12% of them listed as "high priority."
When DGS receives work orders, it categorizes them into emergency, high priority, or routine based on availability of resources, workforce, and weather.
The department's website says it tries to complete routine work orders within 45 to 60 days, but that timeline can be adjusted based on the specific request.
A spokesperson for DGS said that the dashboard is not always up to date and that some repairs may have been completed without the work order being officially closed and updated as such online. He could not say exactly how many of the open work orders that might impact.
When asked how the department was handling the hundreds of open requests as temperatures approach records Wednesday, a spokesperson sent the following statement:
“The Department of General Services (DGS) and its contractor partners represent a combined force of 135 experienced technicians, engineers, and operators focused on ensuring the effective maintenance and operation of the HVAC systems for DCPS. To support HVAC concerns in our school buildings, DGS and DCPS partner closely to address issues that arise, closely monitor school temperatures, and provide temporary measures to impacted areas while repairs are completed. When a work order request is received, it is assigned to one of three priority levels. Within each priority level, work is assigned subject to coordination of work, availability of resources, workforce, and weather. A summary of those priority levels, as well as a description of stages a work order goes through to be completed, can be found on our website.”
In the past, DCPS has sent students home early if temperatures became dangerously hot or cold.
When asked how they determine when that step is necessary, a spokesperson for DCPS sent the following statement:
"At DC Public Schools, the health and well-being of our students is paramount. When schools experience HVAC challenges during extreme weather, our priority is to ensure student and staff safety. We work closely with our partners at the Department of General Services on cooling contingency plans which can include spot coolers, portable air conditioning units, fans, and relocating students to cooler spaces within the building. When alternative learning spaces are not available, the district factors indoor temperature and estimated time of repair to the HVAC system prior to making the decision to close school."
As of 6 a.m. Wednesday, no such closure announcements have been made.