Heat Leads to Early Dismissal at Seven High Schools

The Oxnard Union High School Students dismissed students early in Oxnard, El Rio and Camarillo.

Students had been complaining about hot temperatures in classrooms on social media.

A couple of students wrote about the heat in the Adolfo Camarillo High School student-run online paper. One article said they hoped to put the AC back into ACHS.

Another report in the Stinger by Amy Shim looked into the complicated ruling regarding schools and air conditioning.

Shim found out that schools with air conditioning units are required to maintain them, but most of the school and classrooms don’t have it and usually don’t need it.

Shim said she can’t take credit for the noon dismissal but she hopes to take credit for attracting more readers to the Stinger.

Superintendent Gabe Soumakian said the decision to let students out of school early Friday had to do with the weather forecast, not student journalism.

He said voters could support a bond measure in the future to help schools afford air conditioning if hot weather continues to interfere with learning.