DEKALB COUNTY, Ga. — Several DeKalb County parents told Channel 2 Action News their kids have been shivering in their classrooms.
They reached out to Channel 2's Alyssa Hyman saying several classrooms at Laurel Ridge Elementary School don't have heat. Given the temperatures this week, they want to know why the repairs weren't made sooner.
"I actually kept her out of school today, because I was concerned about the temperature in the building with her ongoing cough," a parent said.
The DeKalb County School District told us it's working on the repairs.
Five-year-old Chloe Hamilton went to school Tuesday beyond bundled. Her mother, Wendy Hamilton, told Hyman she wore six layers of clothes.
"Yesterday, my daughter came home and said she was incredibly cold in class," Hamilton said.
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Chloe's classroom at Laurel Ridge Elementary School had no heat.
"I mean, I checked the weather this morning and it felt like 18 degrees outside," parent Jessica Howell Edwards said.
Edwards wasn't taking any chances and kept her daughter home Wednesday.
"I didn't feel comfortable sending her to a building without heat. It certainly isn't equipping her to do her best at school," Edwards said.
These parents said this isn't the first time. Another parent from the school gave Hyman messages that show the school sent out a notice on Nov. 14 about classrooms with no heat and then again on Tuesday.
"I know that there were issues before break because my daughter came home and said her hands were cold," Hamilton said.
The DeKalb County School District said there were 13 rooms at the school without heat as of Wednesday morning. By the afternoon, all but four rooms had been repaired.
Laurel Ridge isn't alone.
The district confirmed nearly 20 of its schools have had broken heat issues this week, but they said the hope is to have majority of the issues fixed by Thursday.
"It's very frustrating, very frustrating that we're paying so much in taxes and we're paying for school buildings that are basically falling apart," Hamilton said.
Initially, the district told Hyman space heaters had been provided while the repairs were being made, but later in the day, the district sent Hyman another statement, saying it has directed all the schools to prohibit the use of space heaters, as it is not allowed by law.
Thursday morning, the district sent Channel 2's Steve Gehlbach the following update regarding the heating issues:
"The goal and standard is to make sure all HVAC units are in good working order. However, as with any mechanical device, maintenance beyond normal upkeep may be required based on usage and happenstance. When challenges do occur, we make the necessary repairs and take the proper actions to maintain a healthy and safe learning environment for students and staff.
"To accommodate students and teachers throughout the district, schools heavily impacted by HVAC issues have relocated students to other classrooms.
"As of 10:45 AM today, here is where we are with heat issues. Completion times are best estimates:
• Laurel Ridge ES (1 room)
• Clarkston HS (15-20 rooms)
• Salem MS (10 rooms, one rooftop unit)
• Chapel Hills ES (4 rooms)
• Chapel Hill MS (12 rooms)
• Bob Mathis ES (multi-purpose building)
• Browns Mill ES (multi-purpose building)
• DeKalb Elem. School for the Arts (working)
• International Student Center (5-6 rooms plus front office)
• Arabia Mountain HS (10-15 rooms)
• Sequoyah MS (entire building down)
• Smoke Rise ES (10+ rooms)
• Stephenson HS (media center only)
• Wadsworth ES (5-6 rooms down)
• Online Registration (3 rooms down)
• Druid Hills MS (media center only)
• Princeton ES (5-6 rooms)
• Towers HS (5-7 classrooms)