Hot enough for ya?: Heating malfunction turns Link classrooms into furnaces

By Advocate Staff|October 3, 2018

Students in Micah Heibel’s 5th period IB SL II Math class flee to cool temperatures outside on Wed. Oct. 8, 2018 to escape overheated classrooms. A malfunction with the heaters filled the Link rooms between the Main Building and South Building with blasts of hot air. Some classrooms were over 90°. Photo by Greg Keller

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When teachers with classes in the Link area between the main building and South Building opened their classroom doors this morning, they were hit with a blast of hot air.

Temperatures climbed to over 99° in some rooms, and as of 11:15 a.m. today hot air was still coming from blowers in the Math Office.

Students in Math Teacher Alice Hillhouse’s 5th period Algebra Block class try to work on their assignments despite the hot temperatures in the room due to a heating malfunction. Fans provided little relief.

Teachers turned on multiple fans to try to get the air flowing, but the classrooms remained unbearable all morning.

Math teacher Micah Hibel took matters into his own hands during 5th period and escaped with his IB Math SL II class to the cooler temperatures and shade on the west side of the South Building. Fortunately, students have Chromebooks, so work could continue outdoors.

“When I came in before my 7 a.m. class it was really hot,” Heibel said. “So I borrowed Ms. Luedtke’s digital thermometer, and it was 95°.” Mr. Barnes’ room was 99.5° Heibel added.

Luedtke let Heibel’s class use the back part of her classroom for periods 2 and 3.

Facilities and Maintenance officials were notified of the problem yesterday afternoon at around 1 p.m., but as of this morning, no solution had been found. Original estimates were that the problem would be fixed within the hour (before school began), but as of the end of 5th period, it had not been solved.

So, if you have classes this afternoon in those rooms, you might want to bring some extra water or your own personal fan.