Plano West Senior High School, one of North Texas’ largest campuses with close to 2,600 students enrolled, remains closed on Monday, Aug. 28, 2023, due to malfunctions on the school’s main air conditioning system.
According to WFAA, school officials said higher-than-normal temperatures that persisted for weeks in the area deteriorated the school’s heating, ventilation and air conditioning system (HVAC) which showed mechanical issues across multiple buildings in the campus. Even with crews working to remedy the problems during the week, the district ultimately decided to close the school on Friday, Aug. 25 as to not expose students and staff to dangerous temperatures.
An official statement sent to parents Sunday night informed them that despite ongoing repairs over the weekend that improved the service in some areas, the system is not fully functional. Additionally, the Fall Open House event planned for Aug. 28 was also postponed due to the system’s issues.
“We want to assure you that we are making every effort and have district technicians as well as outside contractors working around the clock to repair the HVAC system,” read the school’s statement.
This is not the only effect the high temperatures had on the school district at the beginning of the school year. As reported by Fox 4, earlier that week, Plano ISD joined other school districts that delayed the start of two varsity football games from 7:00 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. due to extreme heat concerns. Additionally, the district allowed visitors to bring their own plastic water bottles to the game to stay hydrated.
The school said Friday and Monday will be coded as school closures and will not count as an absence so as to not affect students’ attendance. Updates on the extra-curricular activities held at the PWSH facilities will be communicated by staff.
